For years, NBA two-time most valuable player and nine-time all-star Russell Westbrook has been touted as the best rebounding guard in the game of basketball. However, over the past few years, a new guard has emerged: Josh Hart ’13.
After graduating from Sidwell in 2013, Hart played all four college basketball seasons at Villanova and won two national championships. In the draft, the Utah Jazz selected Hart late in the first round but later traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Throughout his time with the Lakers, he averaged only four rebounds and eight points, which was not enough to start. At the end of his sophomore campaign Hart was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in a package deal for Anthony Davis.
In New Orleans, he established himself as a solid rebounder, raising his averages to seven and a half rebounds per game along with 12 points a game. After three years with the Pelicans, Hart was traded for guard CJ McCullum.
In Portland, he had his breakout year, averaging seven rebounds and 15 points. During the 2021-22 season, Hart was traded from the Trail Blazers to the New York Knicks, where he has played for over the past three years.
On the Knicks, Hart has played a pivotal role in the team’s success. In the Knicks’ playoff run during the 2023-24 season, Hart averaged the fourth most rebounds in the NBA playoffs, behind Nikola Jokic, Jarrett Allen and Anthony Davis.
What set Hart apart from the rest of the league was his ability to sustain 11.5 rebounds while standing at only six feet four inches — two inches shorter than the NBA average. No other player was six-five or below within the top 20 rebounders for the 2023-24 postseason.
Through the first five games of Hart’s season this year, he is averaging 10 rebounds, making him the 15th-best rebounder in the league. The next-best rebounder six-four or below is Anthony Edwards, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game. Should Hart continue his rebounding success, he would roughly match Westbrook’s 2016-17 Most Valuable Player rebounding numbers.
Hart excels in a couple of key categories that help explain why he is such an excellent rebounder. Hart positions himself to grab many more rebounds than any other guard in the league, averaging 16.6 opportunities per game.
Luka Doncic, the second-best rebounding guard in this category, averages a full three rebounds less than Hart, which also places him 15 spots lower than Hart.
Hart also has one of the highest rebound chance percentages — a statistic that measures the number of rebounds secured for the number of rebound opportunities — coming in at 60%.
What also sets Hart apart from the typical rebounder are the box-out statistics each game. He averages just 0.3 box-outs per game, much lower than other top 20 rebounders. This is because Hart’s position allows him to crash the boards from the three-point line, letting him avoid the taller men and grab uncontested rebounds. These uncontested rebounds translate to 1.8 second-chance points per game.
Hart is expected to play a vital role on a New York Knicks team. Surrounded by offensive machines Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, Hart will accept a smaller scoring role this season. However, his value is higher than ever, as the Knicks are currently without a suitable backup center and desperately need rebounders.
Despite his smaller frame, Hart provides positional versatility when he is on the floor, capable of guarding all positions and out-rebounding anyone else on the floor. Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibbideau has rarely ever used smaller line-ups.
However, with the lack of centers on the team until Mitchell Robinson, who is currently injured, returns, Hart might provide the competitive rebounding edge required for the Knicks to be successful.
