The New York Knicks are a preseason favorite to make a deep run in the postseason in 2026 after making a long run in the playoffs this spring.
Read more: Key Kings Player Will Miss Start of NBA Regular Season
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Knicks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals in May. Following the loss to the Pacers, New York fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau’s replacement, Mike Brown, is set to make his debut with the Knicks on Wednesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Unfortunately for New York, they will be down two players against a Cavs team that finished with the Eastern Conference’s best record (64-18) last season.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Mitchell Robinson, who suffered a knee injury in the playoffs, and Josh Hart, battling a back injury (lumbar spasms), will not play against Cleveland.
“Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are out for New York’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday (7 pm ET, ESPN), sources said,” Charania posted on X.
Those losses could be significant for the Knicks on Wednesday night.
Hart, 30, averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season. Robinson, 27, averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists last season.
On Monday, Brown suggested Hart is trending upward, per the New York Daily News.
"Before he wasn't able to do anything,” Brown said of Hart. “Now he's out there - I can see him doing some stuff on the sidelines, going up and down.”
On Friday, Brown indicated Robinson would have played in Friday’s preseason contest against the Charlotte Hornets if it were a regular-season game
"It's workload management," Brown said of Robinson’s absence. "We're just managing him right now. I've been in different situations where you sit a guy, you manage his workload and he does certain things - whether it's sometimes shooting free throws, sometimes it's watching, sometimes it's walking through this, walking through that.”
Despite the regular season starting on Wednesday, Brown is keeping Robinson off the court.
Those injuries will be something to monitor early in the season. Hart’s back issue is concerning, as that is an injury that could pop up at various times.
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