In yet another brutal twist for the New York Knicks, a quad strain is expected to sideline Karl-Anthony Towns for the team’s regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He won’t be alone on the did-not-play list, either.
Josh Hart (back) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle management) are both on the shelf as well. This (likely) leaves the Knicks without two starters, and three of their seven best players to begin the season.
That is, er, not ideal. And while New York needn’t overly concern itself with a single shorthanded matchup against the Cavs in October, these updates are not without big-picture ramifications.
The Knicks are clearly banged up
Everybody initially assumed the Knicks were just managing preseason injuries to Hart, Robinson, and Towns out of an abundance of caution. These issues are officially starting to feel worse.
Towns missed the Knicks’ final two preseason tilts, which means he hasn’t played a game in roughly two weeks. That officially makes his quad strain a concern.
The Hart situation is flat-out getting awkward. He didn’t play a single second after tweaking his back in the first preseason tilt, and went from definitely being ready for opening night to neither practicing nor taking contact, per SNY’s Ian Begley. He has now been sidelined for more than three weeks.
New York, meanwhile, has been transparent in its plan to manage Robinson’s workload. That is a smart, if not essential, approach relative to his extensive injury history. But his ankle is now requiring load management after logging under 45 total preseason minutes, and not playing in a game for approximately two weeks. If that isn’t an ominous sign, I shudder to think what would qualify as one.
New York’s depth is about to be tested
After an offseason of hearing how much deeper the Knicks’ rotation spans, both the team and its fans are about to get a crash course in the value of said depth.
Without both Towns and Robinson, Guerschon Yabusele will need to play a bigger-than-expected role. The same goes for sophomore big man Ariel Hukporti.
Hart’s absence is somewhat easier to paper over, but only because he’s one player rather than two. The Knicks do not have another reserve wing coming off the bench unless they plan to dust off rookie Mohamed Diawara or Pacome Dadiet. Hart’s minutes will likely be filled with a steady stream of three-guard lineups, and with Landry Shamet serving as a de facto wing.
This is manageable…temporarily. It is untenable for more than a few games. New York is supposed to be lightening the workload placed upon its core guys. The current state of the roster demands more, yet again, from the tippy top—mainly Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby.
Write this all off as a fleeting issue if you’re so inclined. These injuries to Hart, Towns, and Robinson may be nothing at all. Yet, that’s been the party line all along. And frankly, for a whole lot of nothing, the past few updates on Towns and Co. sure seem like something.