New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is nursing a quad injury to begin the season. The injury kept him out of the final two preseason games and almost kept him out of the regular season opener, but he chose to play through the injury.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns is battling a serious quad injury
After the game, in which the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 behind Towns’ 19 points and 11 rebounds, he revealed that he was playing through a grade 2 quad strain.
Towns added that he was in pain throughout the game but chose to play through it to avoid disappointing the fans. But the real question now becomes this: Should Towns be resting that injury at the start of the season?
The short answer: yes. The Knicks are already dealing with some injuries, and they have been extra cautious about them. Mitchell Robinson has not played yet this season while they manage his workload with an injured ankle, and Josh Hart has not played since the first preseason game after tweaking his back.
The Knicks shouldn’t risk Towns’ long-term health this early in the season
Both players could be back soon, but it is not worth the risk of a long-term issue for Towns. New York cannot afford to lose Towns for a significant portion of time late in the season or in the playoffs, as he is their second-best player and makes a massive difference offensively for this team.
The team added depth pieces in the offseason to absorb any possible injuries that may arise, and the beginning of the season would be the best time to put that depth to the test. Risking a months-long injury for their All-Star center is not worth it when they have bigger goals in mind this year.
Ultimately, Towns gets to decide if he feels fit to play or not, but the better decision would be to take some games off and rest the quad. As of this writing, he is listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, which could be an indication that he will attempt to play again.
Whether or not he ends up playing remains to be seen, but it’s worth assessing the risk involved in playing through such an injury at the early part of the season.