The Knicks Have a Josh Hart 'Ghost Coverage' Dilemma

There were 7 minutes and 52 seconds left in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals and the New York Knicks were down 93-71. What happened next was one of the most illogical and improbable comebacks in playoff history. What also happened late was that Josh Hart checked out, and Landry Shamet checked in.

Shamet’s energy, defensive intensity and floor spacing were crucial to the 44-11 Knicks avalanche that ensued over the duration of the final frame and overtime. Mike Brown going to five shooters put an end to Cleveland's sagging "ghost coverage" defense on Hart (which sees a big like Jarrett Allen ignore Hart on the perimeter and help on everything inside), opening the court for Jalen Brunson to cook.

Going with Shamet over Hart and being willing to live with Brunson guarding James Harden unlocked the offense and forced the Cavaliers big men to guard somebody. As expected, Cleveland came out guarding Hart with Jarrett Allen. Kenny Atkinson is happy to funnel the ball to him and live with the results.

The sharpshooting Shamet was Game 1's unsung hero

The Knicks came into the game seemingly surprised that Cleveland wasn't willing to pull its rim protectors out of the paint like their previous two opponents. Allowing Allen and Evan Mobley to roam is destructive to spacing and makes it harder to use Karl-Anthony Towns as an offensive hub.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the run came with Hart off the floor. The heart and soul of the team did knock the 3-ball down at a 41.3% clip during the regular season, but he gets in his head once in a while and has only connected on 12 of 45 three-pointers during this playoff run.

This isn’t an insult towards Hart, whose energy and passion is contagious. He’s still an important part of things going forward. But he, like 99% of NBA players, thrives in the right scenario and needs to be put in optimal lineups to maximize his most impactful self.

Game 1 wasn't a Hart game and quite frankly it's not a Hart series. This happens, even to great players. Different teams and personnel pose different problems. This certainly isn’t the first time New York has run into a Hart problem in a playoff matchup, but they have other options to turn to and a coach willing to make the necessary pivot.

Over the last four postseasons, the Knicks are 7.7 points per 100 possessions better with Hart off the floor, per NBA.com. On Tuesday night, Hart was -23 in 31 minutes and the Knicks had a 72.1 offensive rating with him on the court. Meanwhile, Shamet was +25 in 17 minutes and the team had a 154.3 offensive rating with Hart on the bench.

This series being a quick one might just boil down to Brown using more Shamet and Deuce McBride and less Hart. He doesn’t have to be benched and not play, but for two years now Cleveland has dominated the Knicks in particular when he's been on the floor against their double-big lineup.

The Knicks offense with five shooters is tough to stop

Hart will not be taken out of the starting lineup for two reasons: because the Knicks have won eight straight and because of politics, which is fine. He can still impact the game in other ways as a cutter, creator and defender. The Knicks can counter the ghost defense by using him more as a screener on the ball and lining up his minutes when Cleveland has a single big on the floor.

As euphoric as the comeback was, the Knicks took the hard road to get there. The answer for making things easier is less Hart and more space.

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