The New York Knicks have had several key players get sidelined by injuries in recent weeks, leaving head coach Mike Brown scrambling to find a consistent group of starters. Despite solid returns after inserting Miles McBride into the starting lineup last week, Josh Hart's return from a sprained ankle left the coach with a tough decision to make. However, it didn't seem like a hard decision at all for Brown. Sunday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers proved him right.
Knicks get back to usual starting five with Hart back
Last season's Knicks squad ran into some trouble because of its overreliance on the starting five that put Hart alongside Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. Change wasn't made until the team trailed the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. That ended up being too late.
This season, Brown started things off with the revised starting lineup that finished the year for the 2025 Knicks. Mitchell Robinson reprised his role as the team's starting center, allowing Towns to avoid being miscast defensively.
Brown ended up surprising some fans when he eventually decided on the exact same starting five as last year, giving Hart the nod over anyone else. He credited his assistant coaches, many of which were part of Tom Thibodeau's staff last year, for helping him reach the conclusion that seemingly propelled the Knicks to one victory after another.
However, when Hart got hurt on Christmas Day, Brown was forced to make a change. Robinson's inconsistent availability made it difficult to, even if just temporarily, name him the team's fifth starter. The consistent defense, physicality, and sharpshooting from McBride eventually allowed the fifth-year guard to earn his way into the team's opening group.
The change wasn't made until closer to the end of Hart's rehabilitation, leaving some to believe that the 30-year-old Swiss Army knife would come off of the bench once he returned. If McBride was working as a starter, why mess with success?
Hart, though, showed everyone in his first game back that he's a perfectly fine choice to fill out the starting lineup for now. His energy remains seemingly infectious, which this team could use right now. Brown has cited their struggles with and against physicality often, which Hart's indefatigable motor could certainly help address directly.
Even if starting McBride or Robinson is the best move come playoff time, the Knicks aren't yet halfway through the regular season. For now, Hart's do-or-die approach to each possession is exactly what the Knicks seem to need.