The New York Knicks are battling the injury bug hard, but so far, they have shown resilience despite missing key guys to injuries. For Monday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, they will be shorthanded once again.
Knicks to be without key players against Pelicans
Josh Hart (ankle), Landry Shamet (shoulder), and Mitchell Robinson (injury management) will all not play Monday against the Pelicans. Miles McBride (ankle), who has missed the last nine games, is questionable for the game.
That leaves them without three, and potentially four, highly important pieces. However, it does open up more room for the young players to get burn, and they have shown a lot of potential in recent weeks.
Kevin McCullar Jr. was the latest young Knick to step in for an injured player, and he delivered in a big way. He played 23 minutes in the win over the Hawks on Saturday, and scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, recorded two steals, and knocked down three triples.
It will be next man up for the Knicks again
With Robinson out, Ariel Hukporti or Trey Jemison could get some action as Karl-Anthony Towns’ backup. Towns will need to avoid getting into foul trouble, however, to avoid being in a situation where they become overly reliant on a young big man.
Luckily for New York, the Pelicans are a team who will also be shorthanded. Jose Alvarado is suspended for two games for getting in a fight with Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams on Saturday, and Herb Jones remains out with an ankle injury.
Additionally, the Pelicans have been one of the worst teams in the league, owning an 8-25 record to start the season. Though the Knicks will be without some players, they should still be able to take care of business against New Orleans.