After deal for Hart, Thibs must make rotation decisions
PHILADELPHIA – Tom Thibodeau’s rotation got an addition without a subtraction by dealing Cam Reddish for Josh Hart.
So what does that mean for the nine-man group that Thibodeau plays on a nightly basis? Is somebody suddenly out of the rotation?
“We’ll see,” Thibodeau said. “Once the deal is official we’ll take a look at all the possibilities. And then we’ll do what we think is best for the team, what gives us the best chance to win. It won’t change from that standpoint. You always look at, here’s the personnel we have, what gives us the best chance to win, what makes the most sense? And then continue to ask everyone to make sacrifices because that’s what a winning team does.”
That wasn’t a very revealing answer from Thibodeau, but make no mistake: Hart was acquired to play right away. The 6-4 wing, who started every game this season for the Blazers, was coveted by the coach. According to a source, Thibodeau pushed to acquire Hart even last season before the Villanova product was dealt from the Pelicans to the Blazers.
And on Wednesday — a year later — the Knicks used Reddish and a first-round pick to deal for Hart.
“I have great respect for [Hart]. He’s been a top-flight competitor in the league for a long time,” Thibodeau said Thursday. “And he brings a lot of intangibles to the game. So, a lot of respect for him.”
Hart fell off rather dramatically this season as a 3-point shooter, but his rebounding, defense and all-around tenacity should provide the Knicks a boost. Of all his attributes, Hart’s rebounding stands out as elite for a guard with averages of 8.2 boards overall and 1.9 on offense.
Thibodeau explained why that’s important.
“The volume of threes has changed that aspect of [guards needing to rebound] because of the long rebounds. So I think that’s become important,” the coach said. “I think we’ve always put a premium on the rebounding — we always say the defense, the rebounding and low turnovers puts you in position to win. And when you see teams taking 50 threes, and then those long rebounds, they’re important. They’re critical. How quick are you to the ball? Can you get from the elbow to the corner? All those things that are important.” There are a few ways Thibodeau can incorporate Hart into the rotation. One is to simply expand it from nine players to 10. Another is to replace reserve wing Miles McBride. The third option is to move Hart into the starting lineup by removing either Quentin Grimes or RJ Barrett.
On Thursday, Thibodeau wouldn’t commit to a decision on changing the starting lineup. The coach also didn’t know if he’d feel comfortable playing Hart on Friday against the Sixers without going through a practice.
“I honestly can’t answer that right now. We’ll see,” Thibodeau said. “The thing is, I’ve done it both ways [with a new player not practicing before a game]. We’ll see once he gets here.”
LAKERS MAKE MOVES
The Lakers stayed busy up until the trade deadline with a couple more moves as they try to build a contender around NBA career scoring leader LeBron James.
They added another big man in Mo Bamba from the Orlando Magic for Patrick Beverley, a second-round pick and cash considerations. The Magic said they would not require Beverley to report to the team.
The Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets picked up center Thomas Bryant from the Lakers in a four-team deal that also saw guard Bones Hyland wind up with the Los Angeles Clippers.
As part of a trade that also involved the Orlando Magic, Denver sent guard Davon Reed and a second-round pick to the Lakers, general manager Calvin Booth announced Thursday.
The arrival of Bryant gives the Nuggets another big man to back up two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Bryant averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Lakers this season