The Knicks may be just two days from tipoff, but Josh Hart’s status for the season opener is still up in the air.
Hart is already dealing with a lingering finger injury that he says is severe enough that surgery would end his career. After a team practice, he explained why that issue is so limiting.
“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.”
That injury has hovered over a player New York leans on heavily. Hart remains one of the engines on the roster, and the Knicks are entering a season where they hope to defend the championship they won last year. He’s also getting a little older, which only adds to the importance of managing what he’s dealing with physically.
The immediate question, though, is his ankle. Hart missed the Knicks’ preseason finale because of that injury, and that has kept his availability for Tuesday’s opener against the Philadelphia 76ers in question.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, “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,”
Brown doesn’t sound alarmed, but there’s still enough uncertainty here to keep things fluid as the opener gets closer. Hart wasn’t willing to lock himself into playing when asked Sunday.
“We’ll see in two days,” Hart told the media.
That leaves the Knicks with a decision to monitor over the next 48 hours. They’d love to have Hart available against a revamped Philadelphia team, but they also have to weigh the bigger picture. If Tuesday comes too soon, New York may choose to hold him out rather than rush him back.
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