Why Mike Brown, and his former boss, sees a lot of this crucial Warriors title cog in Josh Hart
SAN ANTONIO — Mike Brown has repeatedly made the comparison.Someone who would know better than anyone else backs him up.Brown likens Josh Hart’s impact with the Knicks to Andre Iguodala’s with the dynastic Warriors teams.Iguodala won four championships as a crucial role player with the Warriors.
Brown was an assistant coach on the Warriors for three of those titles, so he has had an up-close view on both Iguodala and Hart.But it’s not just Brown who thinks they’re similar.Steve Kerr, the man in charge of those Warriors teams, concurs.“Just versatility at both ends,” Kerr told The Post.
“The ability to pass and score and recognize what’s happening on the floor before other people do.Being proactive instead of reactive.
Andre had all those qualities, and you really needed that to complement the stars, the [Steph] Currys and the [Jalen] Brunsons.”Hart often fills up the stat sheet — entering Game 1 of the Finals Wednesday night at the Frost Bank Center, he was averaging 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this postseason.But some of his most important contributions don’t show up in the box score — as a screener, as a ball handler leading fastbreaks, as an energizer and as a leader.“You could just tell that a team is better,” Kerr said, “when those guys are out there.”It took a bit of time for Brown to fully understand Hart’s impact.To start the year, one of the bigger changes Brown intended on making was inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and having Hart come off the bench.
His thought was that Hart might be more effective in shorter spurts.So, Hart came off the bench the first 14 games he played this season.Then, Brown’s assistants urged him to change course and put Hart back in the starting lineup.
And he listened — Hart has started every single game he’s played in since.And he’s subsequently played a crucial role in the Knicks reaching the Finals for the first time since 1999.“Josh, ...