Josh Hart, Knicks
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Josh Hart reacts during a recent Knicks game as his return timeline comes into focus.
The Josh Hart return timeline took on new urgency this week as the Knicks search for answers amid a four-game slide, and a new report suggests help could be coming sooner than expected.
The New York Knicks’ alarming four-game slide has not only reshaped the Eastern Conference standings — it may also accelerate the return of one of their most important players.
Forward Josh Hart could return sooner than expected, according to SNY’s Ian Begley, with Wednesday night’s game against the surging Los Angeles Clippers now emerging as a possible target.
“The Knicks said last Friday that he was going to be re-evaluated in a week,” Begley said on The Putback. “But based on how things have gone, I wouldn’t rule out the idea that he’s back before that. I think he’s close, and they really need him.”
Begley’s comments offered the clearest picture yet of the Josh Hart return timeline, hinting that New York could get its emotional engine back before the end of the week.
Why the Knicks Need Josh Hart Back Right Now
The Knicks are 2–4 without Hart, including Monday’s 121–90 loss to Detroit, their fourth straight defeat — a skid they had not experienced in nearly two years.
That stretch has coincided with a sharp drop in both ends of the floor. Over the past four games, New York owns a bottom-five defense and a bottom-four offense.
Before his injury, Hart averaged 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals, providing a unique blend of physicality, tempo, and versatility that rarely shows up in one column of the box score.
Against Detroit, New York gave up 14 more rebounds and allowed the Pistons to shoot better than 50 percent from both the field and 3-point range — symptoms of a team that has lost its connective tissue.
Mike Brown: Knicks Have Lost Their Pace Without Hart
Head coach Mike Brown has been blunt about what Hart’s absence has done to the team.
“Having Josh helps a lot,” Brown said after Friday’s loss to Philadelphia. “Our pace right now is not good. Walking up the ball almost every time.”
Brown said the Knicks have become static and predictable.
“We want to space the floor correctly. We want to touch the paint and we want the ball getting reversed. If we don’t have anything on the front side, it’s almost like we’re dead in the water.”
Hart’s ability to rebound, defend multiple positions, and ignite transition has quietly been central to New York’s balance — and its disappearance has been felt everywhere from the perimeter to the paint.
Skid Pushes Knicks Down East Standings
Monday’s loss dropped the Knicks to 23–13 and slid them into third in the East, as Boston surged past them with a four-game winning streak.
What had looked like a comfortable cushion has quickly become fragile.
And that fragility has added urgency to Hart’s timeline.
Dolan Stays Firm on Continuity Amid Slide
Even as the skid deepens, Knicks owner James Dolan has remained steadfast in his belief in the roster.
In a surprise appearance on WFAN, Dolan dismissed speculation that the Knicks are searching for external fixes.
“We love our team right now,” Dolan said. “They have chemistry. They all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic. This group can win a championship.”
Dolan emphasized that last season’s injuries played a major role in New York’s playoff exit — and that health, not overhaul, is the answer.
“If we stay healthy, we’ll go into the playoffs in much better condition than we went into the playoffs last year,” he said.
Big Picture: A Team Searching for Its Rhythm
The Knicks are not broken. But they are off-balance.
They have lost their pace. They have lost their edge. And for now, they have lost their anchor.
Josh Hart is not a superstar. But he is the glue.
And with the Knicks searching for themselves, his return may be exactly what they need to find their footing again.