Knicks are surging while cutting young players' minutes

The New York Knicks have won six straight. And they're doing it with less of RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes.

When the Knicks swapped Cam Reddish for Josh Hart at the deadline, it changed their rotation. 

Miles "Deuce" McBride fell out of the rotation, and there were fewer minutes available for starters Barrett and Grimes. Both remain in the starting lineup, but Grimes went from averaging over 36 minutes per game in the six games before Hart's arrival to averaging 22.7 minutes in the six games since. Barrett went from 34.5 minutes in his last six pre-Hart games, to 28.8 minutes.

Hart hasn't taken either wing's spot in the starting lineup, but he's quickly become part of head coach Tom Thibodeau's closing lineup. He's averaging 26.2 minutes as a Knick. 

Hart has scored in double figures off the bench in five of his six games, and he's shooting 61.2 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from three-point range.

Barrett may be becoming marginalized on the roster, despite signing a four-year extension through 2027. He's big and athletic, but Barrett is a below-average shooter across the board whose best offensive skill is getting to the free-throw line. Barrett can also create for himself, which is a less valuable talent for a team that has other, better creators in Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

Whereas Barrett is more physically talented than Hart, Hart fits in better as a complementary player, mainly because he doesn't need the ball as much, and he's a more reliable defensive player.

Of course, Barrett and Grimes are still only 22 years old, and Hart is a free agent at the end of the season. But for right now, the Knicks are thriving by playing with a lot of Hart.