New York Knicks fans didn't know how much they needed a player like Josh Hart. They were excited about the pre-deadline trade in 2023 (especially after Jalen Brunson's reaction to the news) but didn't fully know what was coming.
You've heard it a million times already, but Hart is the heart of the Knicks. He's six-foot-four but outrebounds players several inches taller than him. He'll out-hustle anyone for a loose ball and even do it in the 47th minute of a game where he'll play all 48.
Hart is the do-it-all, gritty player built to play in New York, so seeing his name on Thursday's injury report was worrisome. He wasn't listed as questionable (which he has been several times this season) but as out. Hart missed the overtime win with what the Knicks called patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Fans hoped New York was playing it safe and keeping Hart sidelined for the first game of a back-to-back since the second game is against the top team in the East. However, the Knicks listed Hart as out for the second straight game, so they'll be without him in Cleveland.
Josh Hart to miss second straight Knicks game with right knee injury
Before Thursday, Hart missed only one game this season, and it was for personal reasons. Even if he isn't at his best injury-wise, Hart will do whatever it takes to play. Considering his background, it makes perfect sense why fans are concerned with his knee injury.
New York Post spoke with Charles Homoky, a physical therapist who works for NYU Langone Health. Here's the most reassuring thing Homoky said about patellofemoral pain syndrome:
"Typically, Homoky said, athletes take 'a short amount of time off and then ease back in.' Rarely are there complications that would lead to surgery or a more significant stretch of time on the sidelines."
On Thursday, Tom Thibodeau said Hart was considered "day-to-day." Homoky said that overuse is the most common reason for the injury but could also have to do with "muscle imbalances, weaknesses, and mechanical or flexibility issues."
Even though it will be tough for the Knicks to be without Hart in Cleveland (and maybe even in Boston on Sunday), there is no use in him playing and risking further injury. Resting his knee now will pay off later. The silver lining is that missing at least a couple of games after the All-Star break gives Hart an unexpected (yet much-needed) breather.