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Knicks X-Factor Not Who You'd Expect

The New York Knicks have a star they can lean on.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts to a call by referee John Butler (30) during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts to a call by referee John Butler (30) during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks have a lot of moving pieces to make their team work, but there might not be a player more valuable to the team on both ends of the floor than forward Josh Hart.

HoopsHype contributor Mike Shearer named Hart as the team's X-Factor.

"Sure, teams will guard him with their centers, but that’s okay," Shearer writes. "That hasn’t stopped him from vacuuming up 2.4 offensive rebounds per game en route to double-digit boards. Hart pushes the pace, makes timely cuts and passes, and generally does the little things that contribute to winning without showing up on the box score. There are times when the lack of consistent shooting will hurt, but there are so many more times when everything else Hart brings to the table makes up for it."

So far this season, Hart is averaging 13.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, posting some of the best numbers in his career.

Hart may not fill the stat sheet as much as point guard Jalen Brunson or big man Karl-Anthony Towns, but he makes up for it with the things you don't see in the box score.

Hart's movement on the offensive side of the court without the ball often goes unnoticed, but by making those right moves, he helps the offense flow tremendously.

Defensively, Hart gives the effort necessary for a team coached by Tom Thibodeau. The hustle and passion Hart has on defense allows the Knicks to be aggressive on that end, which also turns into some offense with easy buckets in transition.

Hart and the Knicks will look to get things back on track when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in their next matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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