The New York Knicks have one more preseason game before they begin the regular season. They have a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden before they prepare for the regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 22.
Knicks to treat preseason finale like a regular season game
Head coach Mike Brown said that he wants to treat the preseason finale like a regular season game as closely as possible.
NBA: Preseason-Washington Wizards at New York Knicks
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“We’d like to play our guys as close to normal rotation (and minutes per game) as possible… But, again, I’m not sure who’s gonna play tomorrow,” Brown said (h/t SNY’s Ian Begley).
The Knicks have a few injuries that they will have to navigate through as the season opener nears. Josh Hart has missed the last three preseason games with back spasms, and Mitchell Robinson’s workload is being managed.
Friday will be the final tune-up for the regular season
Additionally, OG Anunoby has an ankle injury, and Karl-Anthony Towns has a quad injury. Their status for Friday’s game against Charlotte is still uncertain, but the Knicks could hold them out to be cautious with the season opener just days away.
NBA: Preseason-Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns
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Nevertheless, whoever is available to play, expect them to receive a heavy dose of minutes as the final tune-up for the season. Brown sat the starters in their last preseason game against the Washington Wizards, so it has been a little over a week since the starters got some game action.
It may take the team some time to adjust to Brown’s system fully, so Friday will serve as the opportunity to really understand it better before the season begins.