Josh Hart did not participate in the Knicks’ practice at their Tarrytown facility on Wednesday, as the team continues to monitor his right knee soreness.
Instead, head coach Tom Thibodeau revealed ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls that Hart practiced Tuesday before being shut down with patellofemoral syndrome, a condition commonly known as runner’s knee or jumper’s knee.
The Knicks do not appear overly concerned.
“Just knee soreness,” Thibodeau said.
Hart, one of the league’s most durable players, has played through knee soreness multiple times this season and has missed only one game for personal reasons.
Thibodeau confirmed that Hart remains day-to-day, and the team has yet to determine his availability for Friday’s game against the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We’ll see where he is going forward,” Thibodeau said. “You trust the medical people, the player. So when they’re ready to go, they go, and if they’re not ready to go, they don’t go.”
STRATEGY AT PLAY?
Hart led the NBA in total minutes played entering the All-Star break, making his workload a potential factor in the team’s approach to managing his injury.
With OG Anunoby (foot) also out for a sixth straight game, the Knicks kept Precious Achiuwa in the starting lineup while Miles McBride (rib) returned from injury to start in place of Hart.
That could suggest a strategic element to the Knicks’ decision-making.Sitting both Hart and Anunoby against the Bulls on Thursday could allow both starters to return fresh for Friday’s marquee matchup against the Cavaliers.
Cleveland, which also played a back-to-back in Brooklyn on Thursday, will be dealing with its own fatigue as the East’s No. 1 seed prepares to host the No. 3 Knicks.
Thibodeau, however, downplayed the idea that the team would intentionally rest players in one game to preserve them for the next.
“Next guy get in there,” he said. “Going into the season, you understand you’re going to hit stretches like that, and you have to have a strategy for everything.”
“If we’re in a back-to-back, we worry about the first game. We’ll worry about the second game tomorrow. But stay locked in to what we have to do today. If you’re available, great. If not, the next guy has to be ready.”
He was also dismissive when asked if Mitchell Robinson (ankle) could make his season debut against the Cavaliers on Friday.
“Whatever medical says,” he said.
HART’S IMPACT THIS SEASON
Hart has been having one of the most productive seasons of his career, excelling as a two-way force for the Knicks.
His 9.6 rebounds per game lead all NBA players under 6-foot-10, and his 14.7 points per game mark a career-high for any full season spent with one team.
The Knicks’ success in the East hinges in part on his availability, making his knee injury a situation worth monitoring closely.