WASHINGTON — Josh Hart finally scored in the preseason, but it was only two points on two shots and wasn’t enough for him to feel comfortable with his new role.
He even floated a possible move to the bench after Friday’s 118-117 preseason loss to the Wizards.
“I’m lost. I have no idea,” Hart said. “There’s a couple days before we have until Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench and go with that unit. So just trying to figure out right now I pretty much have no idea. But we’ll see what happens in Boston (in the season opener Tuesday).”
Hart, it should be noted, made similar comments early last season — specifically that he couldn’t get in a rhythm because he never touches the ball — and subsequently found his groove.
But he’s in a different position this season in a lineup with two offensive-minded All-Stars — Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — and another high-volume shooter in Mikal Bridges.
“(Brunson) and (Towns) are our engine. I feel like we played pretty well this preseason,” Hart said after the Knicks finished 4-1 in the preseason. “So I’m cool with that. I just think we can just figure out a way where we can be our best selves or whatever. Role or minutes or whatever that is.”
The second unit, as constructed in the preseason, is led by Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa (who picked up an injury Friday).
Hart took just six shots in 90 preseason minutes with two points.
After the first preseason game in early October, Hart talked about the importance of sacrificing.
He repeated that again Friday but with a twist that it might be better served in a different role.
Achiuwa was followed by a trainer to the locker room in the fourth quarter Friday and never returned to the bench.
The frontcourt reserve, one of the top Knicks players in the preseason, appeared to grab his hamstring after a dunk attempt. He was immediately subbed out.
After standing in the middle of his good friend and father beefing on national TV, Brunson placed blame on both parties for poor decisions.
“I just wanted address that families fight. Things were said. Sh** should’ve been handled better on both sides but here we are,” Brunson said on his podcast, ‘Roommates Show.’ “Everyone thinks the world’s crumbling. Everyone thinks. …It is what it is at this point. But I just feel like it should’ve been handled way better.”
During Sunday’s preseason game between the Timberwolves and Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo, a groomsman at Brunson’s wedding, began chirping at the Knicks bench, including a couple biting comments directed at Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant and also Jalen’s father.
It spilled over to a postgame dustup that included DiVincenzo and Rick being separated on the MSG court.
Nevertheless, multiple sources said the sides smoothed it over in the subsequent days and are in a good place.