Heading into the 2018-19 NBA season, there were high expectations for Josh Hart after winning the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League MVP award.
While Hart continued his strong play and was viewed as an ideal fit alongside LeBron James, injuries eventually derailed his sophomore season.
As the 24-year-old underwent an ultrasonic debridement procedure on March 28, he is still recovering from the expected 12-week return timetable.
With Hart focused on getting healthy again, he discussed his current relationship with new head coach Frank Vogel, via The Eavesdrop Podcast:
Hart’s comments come after he accidentally described Vogel during a recent anti-analytics rant, via The No Chill Podcast (Warning: strong language):
.@joshhart is not a fan 45 year old dudes with no athletic bones in their body telling him what to do. & no love for analytics. pic.twitter.com/rXJeeTAMSG
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) May 22, 2019
While it is unclear if Hart and Vogel needed to have a conversation, the latter thinks extremely highly of the former. When asked for his first impression of Hart, the 45-year-old likes his ability to ‘dribble, pass, shoot, and guard.’
Although Vogel thinks extremely highly of Hart and the young core, it will be interesting to see if he will have an opportunity to even coach them. As the 2019 NBA Draft is on June, there have been plenty of rumors.
Highlighted by the Anthony Davis trade rumors, the Lakers have also been linked to Bradley Beal — and Chris Paul if they ultimately strike out.
During the 2018-19 NBA trade deadline, Hart admitted it felt like only LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were the only untouchable players.
With the Lakers expected to evaluate all options, it will be interesting to see how Hart and the young core carry themselves this time around.
