New York Knicks Lose Two Key Players Ahead Of Opening Night
Just when you thought the Knicks might catch a break this season, the basketball gods decided to remind everyone in the “Big Apple” why being a New York fan requires industrial-strength antacid and a therapist on speed dial.
The orange and blue are already dealing with their first gut punch of the 2025-26 campaign, and we haven’t even tipped off yet. Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson will both be riding the pine for Wednesday night’s season opener against Cleveland, leaving Knicks fans everywhere wondering if they should’ve just stayed home to binge-watch Netflix instead.
Hart’s Back Problems Continue To Haunt the Knicks
Knicks' Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are out for New York's season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday (7 pm ET, ESPN), sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 21, 2025
Josh Hart, the scrappy guard who’s become synonymous with diving for loose balls and somehow managing triple-doubles while looking like he just rolled out of bed, is dealing with lumbar spasms. For those keeping score at home, that’s fancy medical speak for “his back is angrier than a New York taxi driver stuck in Midtown traffic.”
The injury happened during the preseason opener against Philadelphia in Abu Dhabi. Hart lasted all of seven minutes before his back decided it had seen enough basketball for one evening. “Still the same,” Head Coach Mike Brown told reporters after Tuesday’s practice, probably while internally screaming into the void. “Neither one practiced today, but we’re going to keep monitoring them.”
Hart’s been listed as day-to-day since that Abu Dhabi mishap, which in Knicks terminology usually translates to “we have no earthly idea when this guy will be healthy again, but we’re staying optimistic because what else can we do?”
Robinson’s Load Management Saga Continues
Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson is officially out due to “left ankle injury management,” which sounds about as vague as a politician’s campaign promise. The big man hasn’t played since the first half of New York’s preseason tilt against Minnesota on October 9, and the team keeps insisting this isn’t really an injury situation. “Really, it’s load management,” Brown said.
Robinson missed a significant chunk of last season with ankle issues, so the Knicks are taking the “better safe than sorry” approach. It is like handling your grandmother’s china – you’re extra careful because you know one wrong move and everything shatters.
What This Means For Opening Night
With both Hart and Robinson sidelined, the Knicks will need to get creative with their rotation faster than a street vendor dodging health inspectors. Young Center Ariel Hukporti could see some action in the paint.
The team might also go small with Miles McBride running point, or throw newcomers Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele into the fire. Nothing says “championship aspirations” quite like hoping your bench players can figure things out on the fly against a Cleveland team that’s also expected to compete for the Eastern Conference crown. To make matters even more interesting, Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable with a quad strain.
The Bigger Picture For New York’s Season
Look, injuries happen. It’s part of the game, like overpriced concessions and questionable referee calls. But for a Knicks team that endured the heartbreak of getting knocked out by Indiana in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, starting the season without two key contributors feels like Murphy’s Law decided to set up permanent residence at Madison Square Garden.
The silver lining? It’s just one game, and both Hart and Robinson should be back sooner rather than later. Hart’s back issues, while frustrating, aren’t typically long-term problems. Robinson’s ankle management is more about being cautious than dealing with a serious setback.
Still, for a fanbase that’s been through more disappointment than a New York Mets season, this news stings a little extra. The Knicks were supposed to be different this year – healthier, deeper, ready to make a real championship run. Instead, they’re already playing musical chairs with their lineup before the first quarter of the first game.
