Hart's getting the point

Bickerstaff puts ball in the hands of former San Antonio backup

RICK BONNELL
Staff Writer

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlot...ts/9846409.htm


Charlotte Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff has a way of shaving complicated decisions down to simple truths.

"We said we would give him the ball," Bickerstaff said of Jason Hart's prospects. "Now he has to hold on to it."

In other words, the starting point guard job is Hart's to lose. Sure, there are alternatives: Playmakers Brevin Knight, Omar Cook and Patrick Jackson are in camp. But Bickerstaff has bet on Hart's potential as much as any player's on this roster.

Also the general manager, Bickerstaff didn't choose a point guard in the expansion or rookie drafts. The day free agency began, he set about recruiting Hart, an obscure backup to San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker.

Now Hart has a three-year, guaranteed contract and the inside track on a starting job. Is he ready?

"I'm a good defender and I can lead a team," Hart said. "What do I need? Maybe better shooting."

That's been Hart's resume since he left Syracuse in 2000 as the school's all-time steals leader (329, or 2.5 per game). He's tough, smart and solid, but if you're looking for the spectacular, you'll be disappointed. He'll never be Stephon Marbury or Baron Davis.

That's OK, Bickerstaff said.

"I want a guy who understands time and score," Bickerstaff said of the point guard he seeks. "A guy who doesn't compromise his teammates, who understands where the ball should go. And a guy who starts the defensive pressure."

Hart can do those things. He learned pro basketball the hard way, without the safety net of a guarantee. He spent most of his rookie season on Milwaukee's injured list, amused by coach George Karl's super-sized persona.

"He's a very y guy," Hart said of Karl. "He teaches you to walk around with a strut."

Hart strutted right down to the minors, doing a stint with Asheville of the NBA's developmental league. Later, he latched on with Makedonikos of the Greek League, where he discovered a real challenge: running a team with no common language.

"Basketball is universal," he said. "When I went to Greece, I didn't have (teammates) speaking English. But by the end of the first game, we were slapping hands, bumping chests and celebrating."

The Spurs saw enough potential to sign him in the fall of 2003. Hart passed Charlie Ward as Parker's backup, but it was obvious that's where the opportunity dried up.

"That was Tony's world," Hart said. "I needed to go someplace where I would play."

Will all this work out? Ex-Spur Steve Kerr thinks so, just so long as everyone understands Hart's limitations.

"He's a very solid player. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes," said Kerr, a television analyst for TNT. "Nothing about his game jumps out at you; you can't say he's an unbelievable shooter or has great speed. He's more a stabilizing force."

Kerr figures that quality -- stability -- is essential for a new team. Down the road, though, it might not be enough.

"If you want to win a championship, you'd probably need an upgrade," said Kerr, who won les in Chicago and San Antonio. "But for this situation, he's a good fit."