Knicks Facing Player Challenges Ahead of Season Opener

The Knicks may head into their regular-season opener against the Cavaliers without two significant players.

Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart didn’t participate in Monday’s practice, leaving new coach Mike Brown uncertain about their availability for the game.

Hart has been sidelined for the last four preseason games because of back spasms, while Robinson missed the final two games primarily for load management reasons. Plus, he hasn’t practiced in a week.

When asked about Robinson’s status, Brown mentioned, “Everything we’re doing with him is managing his workload, and we’re going to continue to do that all year.” It’s unclear if Robinson will be able to play Wednesday. Just days before the last preseason game, Brown indicated Robinson would have suited up if it had been a regular-season scenario.

Robinson, a 7-foot-1 center, has a history of injuries, averaging only 48.1 regular-season games throughout his seven-year career. Given his influence on the court when healthy, it makes sense that the Knicks are vigilant about his condition.

Interestingly, it feels a bit strange to rest players for an entire week right before the season kicks off.

Brown shared his thoughts, saying, “I’ve been in a lot of different situations where you sit a player down, you manage a player’s workload… Sometimes it’s just shooting free throws or jogging around. I’ve seen a lot of players handle this in various ways over the years, especially with older teams.” It’s not odd for him, but, well, it certainly raises questions.

As for Josh Hart, Brown believes he is showing improvement. It seems he’s at least keeping busy off the court. The silver lining is starters Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) and OG Anunoby (ankle), who missed a recent game against the Hornets, will likely play on Wednesday.

“You don’t want anyone to be missing all the time, but let’s be real,” Brown explained. “We talked about missing someone, and that philosophy leads to the next guy stepping up. So all who can practice today are on the floor, and I feel good about our options because I know we’ll have everyone back at some point.”