Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Hart is legitimate part of the young core

After an impressive rookie season, Josh Hrt has cemented himself as an important piece for this Los Angeles Lakers roster. But he still hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves.

In the sea of media coverage that the Los Angeles Lakers receive, which has grown exponentially since the arrival of LeBron James, there is one player who seems to get lost in the shuffle — Josh Hart.

In a recent interview with The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti, Hart aired his feelings about being left out when it came to conversations about the ‘young core’.

"“I’m like in a gray area,” Hart tells me after a Lakers practice in late September. Asked where he sees himself fitting into the retooled Lakers lineup, the second-year shooting guard shrugs. “I have no idea. You have the young core, and then you have the best player on the planet, and then you have the vets, so I’m just floating around. It’s challenging, but it is what it is.”"

It has to be frustrating for Hart, who was the 30th pick in last year’s draft and was a steady player for the Lakers for the entire season, to get overlooked as a promising young talent.

You can argue that Hart was one of the Laker’s most consistent players last season. Kyle Kuzma had his ups and downs last season, as did Lonzo Ball, who sat out a large chunk of the season due to injury.

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When it comes to the question of whether or not Hart should be part of the young core, I believe the answer should be a resounding YES.

Hart has been one of the Lakers more reliable sources of both offense and defense. He has been committed to becoming a better all-around player this offseason as well.

Earlier this year he earned Summer League MVP honors averaging 22.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals. He led the Lakers’ SL squad to the championship game, where they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Luckily, the Lakers coaching staff have taken notice of Hart’s contributions to the team. One of the people who has noticed is assistant coach Jesse Mermuys who also spoke with the Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti about the Villanova shooting guard.

"“Lonzo and Kuz, they get a lot of attention because they do some highlight stuff which generates a lot of attention,” Lakers assistant coach Jesse Mermuys says. “But from an NBA coaching standpoint, the stuff that Josh does is just as important, if not more important to a winning environment. Every team needs a guy like him.”"

Later in the same interview, he went on to talk about what it means to have a guy like Hart out there in the most important moments of a game.

"“He does the stuff you need at the end of the game,” Mermuys says, “and when teams kind of downsize, and it gets into a slower slugfest, guys like Josh Hart—you want them on the court.”"

The bottom line is that if the coaching staff believe in Hart, guys like Lonzo, Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram vouch for him, and if LeBron James himself has given him his seal of approval, then Hart is undoubtedly part of the young core.

End of discussion. I mean, who else can say that they contributed directly to David West’s retirement.