As the NBA enters the doldrums of the 2025-26 season, the New York Knicks are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season. On the positive side of things, the Knicks do have plenty of opportunities to right themselves with a relatively innocuous slate of upcoming games. They are also expected to get healthier in the coming days.
Is Josh Hart The Knicks’ Most Important Player, When Will Injured Players Return For New York?
New York (23-12) is going through its rough stretch of the year as the Knicks have lost five of their last nine. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks’ biggest struggles have been magnified since “energizer” Josh Hart went down with a sprained ankle. The Knicks have lost five of their last nine and are just 2-3 without Hart. They take a season-high three-game losing streak into Detroit tonight in a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
New York is coming off a 130-110 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. It was the sixth time in the last eight games that the Knicks have surrendered at least 124 points.
Hart is obviously not the Knicks’ best player. But he is the “glue” guy on defense and the straw that stirs the drink on offense. Thus, allowing Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and, to a lesser extent, OG Anunoby to eat.
Importance Of Josh Hart
New York has not played as well without Hart. The Knicks have been significantly worse on the glass without Hart. Moreover, the Knicks don’t have anyone to “get into” opponents on the perimeter.
Since Hart’s injury, the Knicks have been outscored by 3.4 points per game, which is the 11th-worst in the league over the last five. The Knicks have allowed the third-most points during this period, at 125 per game, as opponents are shooting 49.1% from the field and 39% from deep. The 125 points allowed are 10 more than their season average.
Offensively, New York has been productive without Hart. Over the past five games, the Knicks have averaged 121.6 points — 1.1 points above their season average — though they have been less efficient. The Knicks shot just 44.4% from the field and 37.1% from the 3-point line during this stretch.
“At the end of the day, having Josh out there helps a ton,” coach Mike Brown said yesterday. “… Right now, our pace is not good. We’re walking the ball up almost every time, and then everything is just going to the front side. It’s been a while, at least these last two games, our staples — our pace in the full court and the front court, we wanna space the floor correctly, we wanna make quick decisions, we wanna touch the paint, and we want the ball getting reversed — and we haven’t seen a lot of any of that.”
Knicks With Hart and Without Him (Comparison)
Hart, who produced a career year last season, started the season coming off the bench. However, he and the Knicks have surged since Bown inserted him into the starting lineup.
“Obviously, we miss him,” Brunson added. “But there is no excuse for what we should be doing out there. Obviously, he’s a big part of what we do, but we gotta step up.”
In 14 starts, Hart averages 14.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while compiling a slash line of 51.0/41.8/89.3. His numbers as a s starter are comparavle to his production last year. More specifically, Hart has a +7.4 plus/minus rating as a starter, and the Knicks are 11-3 in those contests. Conversely, the Knicks are 4-3 in games in which Hart doesn’t play and outscore their opponents by less than three points when he is off the court.
Here is a Comparison To Other Starters
Jalen Brunson: Brunson owns a 22-10 record with a +4.7 plus/minus rating. Similarly, the Knicks are 1-2 without Brunson and just +1.2 when he sits.
Karl-Athony Towns: Towns owns a 22-11 record with a +5.7 plus/minus rating. Without Towns, the Knicks are 1-1 and just +0.3 when the big man sits.
OG Anunoby: Anunoby has a 17-8 record with a +5.7 plus/minus rating. Without Anunoby, the Knicks are 6-5 and +1.4 when he sits.
Mikal Bridges: Bridges has played in every game so far. The Knicks outscore their opponents by 4.7 points when Bridges is on the court and by +0.8 when he is off.
When Will Will Hart and Landy Shamet Return To Action?
Hart will miss his sixth straight game against the Pistons. However, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Hart is expected to be reevaluated on Friday and return shortly afterwards. Therefore, expect Hart back on the court in Sacramento on January 14. That would mean he would miss nine games with this injury.
Begley also said that Landry Shamet, who has been out since November 23, is expected to be available against the Kings next week.
© Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images