Bump just cause. No one leaves Josh on page 2. The more he plays the better he looks. Literally not figuratively but that too .... solid player. Smart like Ball and Kuzma and just keeps getting better. Really nice defender including against guys bigger than him and starting to shoot well from deep. Someone said 45% in December. Rebounds. Handles the ball well and can get to the rack. Hope KCP disappears in a trade or literally there too.
I loved Hart's play tonight. His defense is just so good. He handles bigger dudes with ease and makes them really work. His shooting has really improved as well. I like him better than KCP at this point by quite a bit.
He's becoming my favorite Laker honestly. I love his hard hat mentality and the way he approaches games. Right now he's still thinking a little too much offensively. As he gets more and more comfortable, he's going to be a real problem off the bench. He's already a good role player and he has the work-ethic and mentality to maybe be more than that.
Solid rotational player, the type good teams really need. He’s been to me at least surprisingly good in his first season especially on defense. I knew he said he wanted to be known for his defense but he’s really backed it up. I meant to post this after the Cleveland game but I noticed a play where he had switched onto LeBron on the low block and as LeBron tried to drive to the basket, Hart walled him off perfectly. Not easy to do with someone bigger than you. And not just LeBron, other bigs are having trouble scoring on him down low. So yeah I’m really impressed with his work on defense. I honestly don’t mind him looking for his shot more as long as he’s doing good work on d; he’s converting a good percentage of them. Lord knows we need guys who are reliable on the offensive side.
I thought coming into the league his lack of a handle would be a detriment to him. He also has put a LOT of work in on his jumper which had a pretty significant hitch in it. I was concerned he'd be an undersized SF for the NBA which is sort of true still, but he's such a smart player that it really hasn't been a detriment as of yet.
I believe he's more of a 2 that can play the 3 as well. His IQ and defensive skill is impressive; we can switch a lot with him, and we have. It leaves him guarding the bigger players in the post, and he's done a good job digging down and defending them. Excellent help defender; on ball, he battles. That jumper just has to become more consistent, but I could see him becoming a very valuable rotation player.
This guy is another draft gem... one that is not going to garner any headlines but the dude can play and he is text book on defense. I love defense more than the offensive side of the ball and this guy is just fun to watch because he gets it. KCP, while good, also gambles and has so much fake hustle (like Sasha) that makes it appear that he is really digging in on guys. However, Hart just quietly plays defense by taking smart angles and understanding position. He will be an important part of the Lakers' defense going forward. So happy the Lakers drafted this guy!
Derek Fisher 2.0 Seriously, he reminds me a lot of Derek Fisher as a rookie. Solid strong body that can hold his own with players much bigger than he should be able to body. Improved shooting. Nothing flashy, but gereally takes care of he ball pretty well. But Josh is by far a better defender in his rookie year than Fish was.
Quality defender who is going to find his niche in this league. I like him more than KCP at this point.
Good observation. I too just love what he is all about. He just a smart player that is always under control it feels like. I thought Stu made a great point on the broadcast last night when he said Josh unlike a lot of players always is or seems like he is on balance. Whether that is going up for a rebound or jumping in the air to finish toward the basket. He should be taking all or just about all of KCP's minutes at this point because I'm sure KCP isn't going to be back with us next year.
I meant 3 in terms of what he's good at. Today's 2s need a better jumper than Hart has right now. He's an undersized 3 today but I believe a 2 in the future.
I was a little skeptical with him missing Summer League and preseason but I absolutely love this guy. He's easily my favorite player behind Kuz and BI. And I totally dig the Fisher comp @Barnstable
Josh Hart as a starter: 11.3 points 7.5 rebounds 2.8 assists 1 steal 0.5 block He's a work in progress shooting the ball (tends to shoot on the way down sometimes), but once he irons that out, he's going to be one hell of a role player for us for a long time.
I like this kid so much better than KCP now. Where he was in summer league to now is night and day. Mostly his defense is what impresses, he is strong and it shows, and he disrupts a lot of passes.
Me too. I actually like him the best out of all the rookies. He isn't the most skilled offensively speaking but he is more well rounded and plays within himself and the team concept. He is a very good defender. I hope that potential FAs are watching this team because there are some very good players that need a superstar to take them to the next level.
Finishes better at the rim too. Seriously... Hart did have his shot rejected by Towns though he had an awkward try to begin with. Doesn't panic and is very composed. Did some great box-outs in the paint. Watching Hart on both ends last night, I kept saying "bulldog" so Barns' post is spot on given that was how Lantz used to describe Fisher too. My dog... Giving him a high five!
Josh is a better defender now than Fisher was at any point in his entire career. Just ask Troy Hudson, Mike Bibby, and any number of other pg's who send Fisher a Christmas card thanking him for setting up their families for generations.
Fisher was pretty solid,but he definitely had issues with quick guards. Thank goodness he mastered flopping and drawing charges with his 3 ball.
