When the Los Angeles Lakers young core became a common refrain last season, it was used to describe a quartet that consisted of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle. By the end of the season, Josh Hart had played his way into that grouping.
As the No. 30 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and a senior out of Villanova, most initially glossed over Hart because of a lack of flash. But steadiness and maturity to his game earned him notoriety.
And in a game when LeBron James dazzled with his dominance, Hart played a key role for the Lakers on a night in which he hardly saw the court because of foul trouble.