Coach Mike Brown provided a pre-game update heading into Tuesday's bout against Milwaukee that the New York Knicks will unfortunately be without Josh Hart for a third straight game. Though on the surface level this news is obviously not ideal, in an odd way, the reasoning for it actually is.
Coach Brown chalked up Hart's upcoming absence to an illness and noted that, had it not been for this, he would have suited up.
While it may sound odd, this intel drop should provide the Knicks with a sigh of relief, as the beloved wing has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since November 2.
The heart and soul of this team, Hart got off to a somewhat slow start to the year prior to his shelving, as he was registering averages of just 8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor, all of which ring in as his worst marks since landing in New York back in 2023.
Now with his ankle woes seemingly behind him, the hope is that he'll be able to step back into the lineup come Wednesday (should his undisclosed illness subside by then) and slowly work his way toward a regression to the mean.
Landry Shamet has killed it for Knicks while filling in for Josh Hart
Amid Hart's absence from the rotation, Landry Shamet has been looked to as the primary option alongside Jalen Brunson in the backcourt.
Fortunately, he's absolutely been crushing it.
During Hart's shelving, Shamet has produced to the tune of 12.7 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from deep, while the Knicks have gone a perfect 3-0.
With the veteran on the floor, the Knicks have proven to be an absolute two-way powerhouse, as they're averaging 119.2 points per 100 possessions and are holding opponents to just 107.5 points per 100 possessions and an effective field goal percentage of just 48.8, ranking in the 82 and 91 percentiles, respectively.
Now, this is not to say that the Knicks are a better version of themselves in the long term with Shamet over Hart. Let's not forget how integral Josh has been to New York's championship pedigree throughout his four-and-a-half-year tenure with the team.
Instead, it's merely an exciting reminder that this team has quite a number of players on steals of deals who can step in and show out at a moment's notice for New York.
Right now, Shamet is the highlight example of this being exactly the case.
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