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Josh Hart says he’s ‘overshadowed’ by rest of young Lakers core

Josh Hart doesn’t know where he stands with the Lakers’ young core.

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Hart has been solid for the Los Angeles Lakers since being drafted 30th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, this year especially.

With the exception of a few rough outings related to a nagging ankle injury, Hart has been one of the most impactful two-way players on the roster. According to NBA.com, the Lakers have a net rating of +6.5 with Hart on the floor and -2.9 net rating with him off of the floor.

However, despite his success in his role, Hart told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times that he still feels like he doesn't get the same recognition as his teammates that were drafted around the same time as him:

“I think I’m still overshadowed,” Hart said this October. “Just because last year we had Zo, BI [Brandon Ingram], Kuz and like the young core … now you …so much, big personalities with the team. So I’m not, I like to have fun on social media and stuff like that but I’m not the crazy big personality that draws a whole bunch of attention.”

This isn’t the first time Hart has said something along those lines.

In an interview with Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer in October, Hart said he felt like he was in a “gray area” between the Lakers’ veterans and the young core.

Whether or not either of the above statements are true, Hart is slowly blossoming into a player that can’t be ignored.

Through 21 games with the Lakers this season, Hart is averaging 9.4 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field while shooting 39.4 percent from behind the 3-point line. He’s also contributing 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals.

While his numbers aren’t jaw-dropping, his impact goes beyond the box score.

Hart might feel overshadowed now, but if he continues to progress the way he has, that won’t be the case much longer.

You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.

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