During Wednesday’s practice, coach Tom Thibodeau revealed that there may be some competition for Julius Randle’s backup at power forward position. Both Josh Hart and Jericho Sims, along with center Isaiah Hartenstein, are options for that role. Thibodeau mentioned that Hartenstein and Sims have been working out at both power forward and center positions, and they seem to complement each other well on the court. The decision on who plays which position depends on the matchups and the opposing team’s lineup. It’s worth noting that Hartenstein has experience playing as a power forward, although there are some adjustments in terms of spacing and initiating offense compared to the center position.
It seems likely that Hart and Sims will share the court at times, especially against teams with bigger lineups. Last season, when Obi Toppin was out due to injury, Sims and Hartenstein played together for a total of 128 minutes. They had a high offensive rebounding percentage of 37.9, but unfortunately, they were outscored by the opposing teams by 3.1 points per 100 possessions and averaged only 106.3 points per 100 possessions.
Hartenstein believes that when he and Sims are on the court together, his role will be more focused on the passing game and facilitating for his teammates. However, he also plans to space out the court and read the opponent’s defense to make everyone’s life easier during pick-and-roll situations.
During his media session, Thibodeau began by offering condolences to the family of Brendan Malone, who passed away at the age of 81. Malone, father of Nuggets coach Mike Malone, had several stints as an assistant coach with the Knicks and was highly respected in the basketball community. Thibodeau expressed his admiration for Malone and mentioned that he learned a lot from him during their time together with the Knicks.
As for Hart, the Knicks are taking a cautious approach to his development after his participation in the FIBA World Cup. He did not play in the preseason opener and is being given time to rest and recover. Thibodeau emphasized the importance of ensuring Hart’s complete health before gradually increasing his workload.
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