Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Hart becoming a vital piece of the Lakers
By Quinn Allen
Hart is enjoying an outstanding start to the 2018-19 campaign, averaging 14.5 points per game while collecting 4.7 rebounds per contest. He’s quickly becoming a vital piece to the Los Angeles Lakers
With LeBron James now on the Los Angeles Lakers, all eyes are on LA every single night they step on the hardwood. We’ve seen LeBron take a team deep into the playoffs basically on his own, evident of last year with Cleveland. However, he did have the help of other veterans like J.R. Smith and Kevin Love.
With LA, he has youngsters like Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart at his side. All these guys will have to play up to snuff if the Lakers want to make the playoffs this year in a very tough Western Conference.
The most impressive young player so far this season has been Josh Hart. The second-year guard has done a great job of hitting three’s, something the Lakers have struggled to do this year. Hart is attempting 5.8 3-pointers per game for a 43 percent line. So far, he has been their most dependable 3-point shooter.
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This could be his breakout year
Last year, Hart averaged just 7.9 points per game in 63 games played. He also saw an average of just 23.2 minutes per contest last year. This season, he has featured mostly off the bench, but Hart is making the most of his opportunities. He’s playing about 32 minutes per game this season, substantially more than last year.
He seems to be LeBron’s number one target when it comes to 3-point shooting. The king has found him around the perimeter a lot whether it’s an open look or a catch and shoot situation.
Unlike some players in the NBA who solely just shoot from downtown, Hart is also very good at getting to the rim. He’s not the biggest guy but he does a good job of making the high percentage shots down low. The former Villanova standout is an elite athlete who brings a ton of versatility to the Lakers lineup.
Besides his offensive abilities and what he’s shown on that side of the ball this year, Hart has been really great defensively. In a 110-106 loss to DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Hart defended DeRozan very well. DeRozan still dropped 30, but Hart was right in his face all night and playing tight defense.
But DeRozan is one of the best players in the league because he can make the tough shots, and that’s what he did. LeBron even voiced in a post-game interview that he thought Hart did an effective job of defending the Spurs star despite the result. When JaVale McGee isn’t on the floor, Hart has also been one of the Lakers most productive rebounders, averaging 4.7 per game.
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Hart could be the most unappreciated player on this Lakers team given the guys around him. Kyle Kuzma emerged as one of the best rookies in the league last season, Lonzo Ball is shooting the ball a lot better this year, and Brandon Ingram is an elite scorer when he’s not suspended.
But based on the first handful of games this season, it looks like Josh Hart is the one player that LeBron James can rely on with the final shot in a tight game.
If he can continue to play at an elite level on both ends of the court, Hart could end up being the most important player on this Los Angeles Lakers team this season, besides LeBron James.