On Wednesday, Josh Hart secured his first double-double of the season in the New York Knicks 121-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He ended the game with 10 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and one steal, shooting 40% from the field and 66.7% from 3-point range.

Julius Randle poked fun at his teammate when speaking to the media after the game. Rather than congratulating him on a strong performance off the bench, he joked that “it’s about time” Hart secured a double-double because that’s what he’s paid to do.

“It took him long enough,” Randle said. “It’s about d*** time. Isn’t that what they paid him all this money to do? Rebound the basketball? His first double-double of the season, $80 million? Come on.”
New York is currently coming to terms with the news that Mitchell Robinson will be out for the season. As such, Tom Thibodeau’s team will need to pull together to control the glass. They must rebound by committee moving forward.

When the Knicks acquired Hart at the 2023 trade deadline, he made an instant impact on the franchise. His rebounding and scoring provided the team with a boost on both sides of the court. This season, Hart’s impact has been more subtle. He’s still making the hustle plays. Still fighting on the glass. And still finding a way to come up big when his team needs him the most.

However, Knicks fans will be hoping Hart’s impressive performance is the start of a resurgence. New York needs the version of Hart they got last season. Randle’s comments may have been in an attempt to motivate his teammate, while also being light-hearted in nature.

The Knicks have now won three straight games following a nine-game losing streak. They sit fifth in the Eastern Conference. If Hart can begin to re-capture what made him such a compelling player last season, the Knicks could begin to surge despite their injury issues.