The New York Knicks are just two days away from starting the regular season, and they are hoping to successfully defend the championship they won last season. Knicks workhorse Josh Hart is entering another season as he gets a little older.
Hart also has a lingering finger injury that he will have to deal with throughout the season. If Hart elected to have surgery, it would be career ending.
“You can’t have the banging, repetitive (motion),” Hart said after a team practice. “Grabbing a rebound, palming it, shooting, catching the ball, doing all that: You can’t do that. So, if I did a joint replacement, then I wouldn’t be able to play.”
New York knows just how much Hart means to the team, as he is one of the motors on the roster. The Knicks concluded their preseason schedule a few days ago and now have their roster set. However, Hart was unable to play in their preseason finale due to an ankle injury.
“Mike Brown said he doesn’t think Josh Hart ankle injury will impact his status for Tuesday. He also said he started Mohamed Diawara because he wanted Diawara to have the opportunity to guard Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes,” SNY’s Ian Begley wrote.
While Brown doesn’t believe the injury is going to be too serious, it is definitely something to monitor with the season opener approaching. Hart could miss the first game of the season to give his ankle more time to recover fully. On Sunday, the guard was noncommittal about whether he would play.
“We’ll see in two days,” Hart told the media.
For someone dealing with an injury, Hart’s response leaves his availability unclear. His status will be monitored over the next two days leading up to the game. Opening the season against the revamped Philadelphia 76ers will be a tough task.
The Knicks are hoping to have Hart available for the season opener, but his long-term health is also important. If they feel that returning on Tuesday would be too soon, he will likely sit out.
