Rival injury scare is exactly what Knicks want to avoid themselves this season

The New York Knicks' injuries kept coming last season. Mitchell Robinson's ankle surgery in December was a glimpse of what was to come. Things looked great for the Knicks in January after the OG Anunoby trade (even with Robinson sidelined), but the end of the month changed everything.

New York was without Julius Randle for the 2024 playoffs. Anunoby, Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic also missed time in the postseason. Jalen Brunson fractured his hand in the Knicks' final game of the season in a Game 7 loss to the Pacers. Luck wasn't on New York's side.

The Knicks hoped to turn over a new leaf this season, but they'll be without Robinson until at least January. His status and Isaiah Hartenstein's departure propelled New York to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. Fans don't want to talk about it, but KAT has a concerning injury history, as does OG Anunoby, who signed a five-year deal in free agency.

Staying healthy is impossible in an 82-game season. Players aren't 100 percent when the playoffs roll around. Winning an NBA championship requires almost as much luck as skill. Injuries can derail a season.

Sixers fans know a thing or two about that. Joel Embiid is the face of the franchise, and he played in 39 games last season. Philadelphia signed Paul George to a four-year max contract in free agency. The 34-year-old is on the backside of his NBA career and is injury-prone, but he did play in 74 games in his final season with the Clippers.

Paul George suffers minor injury scare in Sixers preseason game

Signing PG13 was necessary for Philadelphia, but it could come back to haunt the front office. It's hard to envision George and Embiid staying healthy for most of the season. Embiid said on Monday that he probably won't play in back-to-back games for the rest of his career. The goal is for the big man to be healthy when the postseason rolls around.

It's still the preseason, and the Sixers have already dealt with an injury scare. In Monday's game against the Hawks, George went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter. He didn't play in the second half with what the team said was a left knee hyperextension. After the game, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer he wasn't "too concerned about it" (subscription required).

On Tuesday, Nick Nurse said George would undergo "further imaging" this afternoon. Nurse said he doesn't know if PG13 will miss the start of the regular season but that he won't play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Nets.

Managing George's and Embiid's health will be challenging for Philadelphia. The Sixers added more depth this offseason, but staying at the top of the standings will be hard if one (or both) gets hurt. It's a miracle that the Knicks finished No. 2 in the East last season with their injuries.

Knicks fans have an endless list of reasons why they dislike the Sixers, but those reasons aren't enough to hope Philadelphia deals with a major injury this season. Hopefully, George's injury doesn't turn out to be serious. New York should want to beat Philadelphia at its best.