Knicks Facing Season Opener Challenges
The Knicks are starting the season a bit short-handed.
Two crucial players, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, will not participate in the season opener against the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Neither of them practiced on Tuesday.
Reports indicate that Hart is dealing with lower back spasms, which explains his absence. However, Robinson’s situation is more puzzling.
The Knicks have publicly stated that Hart is being moved to the bench to lead the second unit, while Robinson’s decision to sit out is labeled as load management rather than due to an injury. It’s a bit unclear, though—if he’s able to play, then why isn’t he? It’s not as if there are back-to-back games coming up, nor did they just come off a grueling stretch. What kind of load management applies before the first regular season game?
League officials mentioned that they’re managing an injury to his left ankle, which suggests Robinson might be dealing with some complications, especially since he missed a significant part of last season due to ankle surgery in May 2024.
This will be his second ankle operation; the first happened in December 2023. He played just 17 games last year, making his season debut on February 28th.
Robinson missed the last two preseason games, played in the first three, but sat out the second half of Game 3 and hasn’t taken to the court since. The Knicks want to ensure he’s fully ready before stepping into any real action this year—something they’re clearly monitoring closely.
“In Mitch’s case, we need to act smart,” Brown said. “That’s part of load management. Just because he might be able to play tonight or practice today doesn’t mean I’m going to play him or have him practice.”
With Robinson out, Ariel Hukporti might step up as the starting center. He was a second-round pick last year and participated in 25 games as a rookie.
Instead of bringing in someone fresh and changing roles entirely, Brown proposes that they should find replacements who fit the existing roles. So, perhaps starting Karl-Anthony Towns at center and Gershon Yabusele at power forward would make sense.
“No matter what the coach says, I’m going to take his word for it,” Hukporti remarked on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hart has also missed the last four preseason games. He’s been getting in some running and court work, but the Knicks aren’t rushing him back.
This situation certainly impacts a bench unit the Knicks believed was significantly improved from last year.
With Hart sidelined, Yabusele may need to take on a larger role, or it could create opportunities for Landry Shamet.
“We’re trying to assess his back, but this is a tricky situation and we need to be cautious,” Brown noted. “We don’t want to push him too hard. We’ll be patient and figure it out as we go.”
