Josh Hart's early injury casts doubt over Knicks starting lineup bid

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News on Oct 9, 2025

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NEW YORK — Josh Hart missed his second consecutive preseason game on Thursday, as the Knicks continue to err on the side of caution with the lingering combination of injury and illness that has clouded the start of his 2025-26 campaign.

Hart entered training camp recovering with a splint on his right ring finger, then suffered lower back spasms just seven minutes into the Knicks’ preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi. He missed the second game overseas with that same back issue, then skipped Wednesday’s practice in Tarrytown due to an undisclosed illness.

With Hart sidelined again, head coach Mike Brown stuck with the same starting lineup he used in Tuesday’s win over the Celtics: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.

That group is quickly building early chemistry. And with Hart having missed most of the preseason, it’s becoming harder to envision him cracking the starting lineup ahead of the Oct. 22 season opener against the Cavaliers.

Brown acknowledged as much ahead of Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves.

“I think it has a chance to be pretty good. They’re long, they’re big, they’re versatile, and that’s what makes them exciting,” he said. “So I think it has a chance to be pretty good — but at the end of the day, a lot of people want to start.

“A lot of people look at the starting unit as the be-all, end-all, but you know: to start is an honor, but also to be able to finish games is an honor. Both hold a lot of weight.”

Hart started every game he appeared in last season but was moved to the bench in the Eastern Conference finals as the Knicks prioritized size and rim protection with Robinson against the Pacers. The Villanova product thrived as a starter while Robinson rehabbed, routinely flirting with triple-doubles as the glue of the first unit. But with Robinson healthy and dominant in camp and preseason, the path back into the starting five has narrowed.

“I had the best year of my career last year, but that’s in the past,” Hart said on media day. “I think I’m a starter in the league. I think I deserve to be a starter in the league, but at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the team. Last year, I talked about sacrifice the whole time and kind of being that separate mentality and being a good steward of my gifts and those kinds of things. So I think it would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand to start and all those kinds of things. So, whatever Mike wants to do or doesn’t wanna do, I’m cool with. And time will tell what that is, but I’m gonna figure it out. I’ll figure it out.”

So far, Brown hasn’t had much of a look at Hart — but he’s seen plenty of Robinson, who has been a force in extended preseason stretches. The Knicks center pulled down 16 rebounds in just 18 minutes in the Abu Dhabi opener, then followed it up with six points and eight boards in Game 2 against Philly.

“He’s been impressive. You don’t really know guys until you get around them. The most impressive thing is he’s got a collection of monster trucks, they’re out of this world. He drove a blue one yesterday, before I saw him in my rearview mirror. I heard him playing country music,” Brown said with a smile. “He’s got a great personality. Obviously basketball-wise, you think he’s athletic, but some of the lobs that he catches are just amazing. And then you know he’s got good feet and he can switch onto certain guys, but to actually see him sit down and step-slide and guard guys, all that other stuff, it’s pretty impressive.”

The biggest adjustment for Robinson has been adapting to the up-tempo style Brown wants to implement on both ends.

“He’s getting better, for sure. He does it in spurts, like most of us, doing it in spurts. Got to get to a point where it’s just natural every possession,” Brown said. “With the way that Mitch runs, he’s a monster in a lot of different ways. Man, he could take somebody’s heart at that position just with his relentless pressure he can put on the opposing center when it comes to sprinting up and down the floor.”

Brown says he’ll start trimming the rotation as opening night approaches, but he still wants to give all his players a moment under the lights at The Garden — including Hart, if he can clear his remaining hurdles.

“Yeah, we’re going to start cutting it down, but one thing that I’d like to try to do is give everybody some minutes in The Garden. These guys work too hard,” Brown said. “They’ve been too good of teammates to not try to find a way to get everybody on the floor at some point. It might not be tonight, maybe the next game. I don’t know. But that definitely is one of my goals.”