Josh Hart got emotional when he saw the recent GQ photo shoot of the four former Villanova stars together in Knicks jerseys.
Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Hart were going to be reunited this season following the offseason acquisition of Bridges.
Then, only a few days before the start of training camp, the dream was over, when the Knicks landed Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster deal and sent DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Timberwolves.
“It’s just, I think that was like the first time that it hit me like damn, [Donte’s] gone,” Hart recalled after practice on Friday. “That was something that we were really looking forward to, and unfortunately we weren’t able to do it. I feel like we should blame Isaiah Hartenstein. I feel like it’s all his fault, so, thank you ‘Zay.’ Appreciate it.”
Hart was joking about Hartenstein, who left the Knicks via free agency after two strong seasons, signing a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder.
His departure created a need in the middle, particularly with Mitchell Robinson expected to be out for the first part of the regular season due to ankle surgery.
DiVincenzo had a career year for the Knicks, averaging a career-best 15.5 points and shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range.
He set a Knicks regular season record for most made 3-pointers with 283.
On Sunday, DiVincenzo and Randle will return to the Garden with the Timberwolves for a preseason game.
“Obviously, it’s a tough one, it’s part of the business, but I’m just like, I miss my dog man,” Hart said. “So I think he should be received with cheers and [an] ovation for everything he did for the team last year. He put himself and his body on the line and brought it every night. So he should get a warm welcome.”
Through two preseason games, Hart has taken four shots, and missed all of them.
Hart knows it is something he will have to get used to.
“I think the scoring aspect will probably [be something] I have to sacrifice,” he said.
Hart will be surrounded by scorers in the starting lineup, and his job will be as a hustler and connector.
It will take some adjusting.
Last year, he averaged 9.4 points on 8.4 shots per game, numbers which went up in the playoffs, partly due to injuries around him.
“I’m a shooter with rhythm and that rhythm is going to be scarce at times,” he said. “I’ve got to be focused and confident when I do get those shots and shoot the ball with confidence. Like I said, the rhythm will be the tough one to try to figure out, but my role this year is [not] to be that shooter or that scorer.”
He added: “I won’t lie, it’ll be frustrating at times for sure, but at the end of the day I think we don’t go far, we don’t win without having to sacrifice, and I think that’s just something I’ll have to sacrifice.”