Josh Hart’s protégé is the latest Knick to cement a spot in Mike Brown’s rotation. And Hart played a big role.
His ankle injury opened the door for Kevin McCullar Jr. to earn playing time.
He played a real role during the Knicks’ three-game road trip: 23 minutes in a win over the Hawks, nine minutes in a win over the Pelicans and eight minutes in a loss to the Spurs.
And during Friday’s 111-99 loss to the Hawks at Madison Square Garden, he was the second substitute off the bench and played 17 minutes.
“He’s tough,” Brown said Friday. “He does all the little things all the time that don’t show up in the box score. His shifts are really good. His physicality without mistakes is really good. He can rebound, or at least he’s not afraid to get in there and hit someone when it comes to keeping your opponent off the glass. And then he understands how to play [against] different individuals. He has a good sense of knowing, like if you’re a good shooter or a guy who can really shoot the ball, how to close down and take away that airspace.
“If you’re not, if you’re more of a driver, he knows how to close where he can take away a corner. Just a good sense of a lot of little things that he has, along with that toughness and that’s what you like for a guy his size.”
It’s obviously not yet to the same degree, but if there’s anyone whose game McCullar tries to emulate most, it’s Hart’s all-round style. Brown has also recognized him as one of the Knicks’ best defenders.
And McCullar has praised Hart as a mentor.
“Yes, that’s definitely my big brother on the team,” McCullar said earlier. “His energy is contagious. I have learned a lot from him over the past year.”
However, his rise took a step back on Friday, with a rough performance. He got into foul trouble early and went scoreless, missing all three shots he took, though he did record five rebounds and six assists. He also appeared to hurt his hand or wrist in the final minute, which could jeopardize his presence in the rotation.
Either way, if Hart returns, it will be difficult for McCullar to maintain a role.
But the Knicks have been relying on him for a few games.
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