The New York Knicks have proven this season that they are a far cry from the dumpster fire that they were before 2021. However, they're still not real championship contenders, as shown by their 0-7 record against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Those three teams, of course, are the best in the NBA.
With that being said, there's nuance in losing. The Josh Hart-less Knicks were embarrassed 142-105 in Cleveland on Friday before suffering a 118-105 loss in Boston on Sunday with Hart on the floor. The Villanova alum provided his usual versatile effort in the latter contest, registering 20 points (8-of-14 FG) with 11 rebounds and a team-high nine assists across 40 minutes.
While New York still lost by double-digits, the Celtics game at least showed that Hart can help it keep the score respectable against the NBA's elite. A hopeful fan may think that a healthy Hart along with Mitchell Robinson's return will be enough to lift the team to the next level. Hart averages 14.8 points on 55.8 percent shooting (33.7 percent 3 PT) with 9.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists across 37.8 minutes going into Wednesday night's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Robinson is one of the best offensive rebounders and rim protectors in the league.
Robinson had 4.6 offensive boards per game last season, which tied Clint Capela for the most in the league. The seven-footer also averaged 1.1 blocks, matching the likes of Isaiah Hartenstein, Jarrett Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jusuf Nurkic and Nick Richards. The only difference was that he played just 31 regular-season games.
That's the constant issue with Robinson (ankle), as injuries have kept him from playing a full campaign since 2021-22. Luckily for the Knicks, there is "optimism" within the organization that the 26-year-old will make his season debut against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, according to SNY's Ian Begley.
Still, the Knicks can't bank on Robinson staying healthy going forward, which makes Hart all the more crucial. The 6-foot-4 guard is a different type of player than Robinson, but his effort and high motor on both ends provide a smaller portion of what the big man brings.
An example is this offensive rebound that Hart got over former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. on Jan. 27.
Hart is second on the Knicks only to Karl-Anthony Towns in boards this season and leads with 1.5 steals per game. The rebounding nugget is particularly impressive, as he clears both the 6-foot-6 Mikal Bridges (3.2 per game) and 6-foot-7 OG Anunoby (4.6 per game) in that category.
It's a reminder not only that Hart lives up to his last name, but he's the engine that New York needs operating at full speed in order to stand a chance past the first round of the playoffs. The 29-year-old seems to be over his lingering knee injury for now, but Knicks fans better hope that his good fortune continues. If not, the operation could crumble even with Robinson back.
