Knicks forward Josh Hart is suffering from nerve damage throughout his shooting hand, he revealed on Sunday to Fred Katz and James L Edwards III of The Athletic.
Hart previously acknowledged prior to training camp that an offseason procedure on his right ring finger didn’t sufficiently address the issue. Now he’s providing more details on the injury and suggesting it’s more wide-ranging than previously reported.
According to Katz and Edwards, not only is the injury impacting the fourth finger of Hart’s shooting hand, but it’s also causing him to lose feeling in his middle and pinky fingers throughout the day, whether on the court or off.
“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” Hart said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”
After missing much of the preseason and entering this fall with a different role than he played in the previous two seasons, Hart has gotten off to a slow start, averaging 2.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 22.3 minutes on .211/.100/.500 shooting splits over his first four games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Bulls.
With his minutes down significantly from the 35.5 MPG he averaged over the last two seasons with the Knicks, Hart is still seeking some stability and structure in his position with the team.
“If I’m not going to start, I’m totally cool with it,” he said. “I don’t want to be, like, the next starter up because then everything is varying by game. I want more of a consistent role so that I can affect that role.”