Blinksportsnews247The New York Knicks hobbled into the 2024 All-Star break, which seemed like it would arrive sooner rather than later. After an incredible January, they were forced to return to Earth due to a series of difficult injuries.
Of course, most teams at this point in the season have a number of issues to resolve, and the Knicks are not an exception. But in the end, health—or rather, the absence of it—is unquestionably New York’s deadly fault right now.
The Knicks are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 33-22 record. After a dismal beginning to the season, they completed a deal with the Toronto Raptors to get Precious Achiuwa and OG Anunoby back. They won 14 of their 16 games in January, demonstrating their exceptional ability, but a string of injuries made New York appear extremely vulnerable.
Bojan Bogdanogvic and Alec Burks of the Knicks were acquired in a subsequent trade with the Detroit Pistons, so strengthening their rotation. However, we haven’t yet seen what a fully functional and healthy Knicks squad looks like.
Let’s recap the ways in which the New York can address their fatal flaw—a long list of injuries—and the anticipated timeframe for any improvements in that area.
There was a sense that the Knicks season could become a Cinderella story. In Miami, though, everything started to go wrong on January 27. Julius Randle’s non-shooting shoulder dislocated at that point, depriving New York of their All-Star power forward.
In addition, Anunoby had surgery to remove a loose body from his shooting elbow, and his last game with the Knicks was on January 27. Since Randle and Anunoby were taken out of the starting lineup, New York is just 4-5.
But Randle and Anunoby aren’t the only ones.
An Achilles strain kept Isaiah Hartenstein out of the final three games prior to the All-Star break. Due to calf pain, Bogdanovic was unable to play in the final game before the break. The injury report also mentioned Donte DiVincenzo’s hamstring pain. Not to mention Mitchell Robinson, who is still sidelined following ankle surgery in December.
And the outcomes are instructive. Before the All-Star break, New York suffered four straight losses against teams (the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets) whose records are all worse than their own.
Health affects the floor on both sides.
With a defensive rating of 105.9 through 16 games in January, New York had the top defense in the league. They also had a couple very impressive defensive outings, such as a game on January 9 when they shut out the Portland Trail Blazers for an incredible 84 points.
In contrast, the Knicks defense fell to 20th place in the NBA after seven games in February. A portion of that can be attributed to unfamiliarity and new players. And a good portion, if not all, of it has to do with injuries and who was unavailable.
However, the Knicks’ offense was also hampered by injury. Even still, after seven games in February, New York’s offensive rating is only 18th in the league. And that was following their January sixth-place finish.
Thus, it should be very obvious why the team’s first priority is health.
Reinforcements on the way
Thankfully, there will soon be some respite. DiVincenzo, Hartenstein, and Bogdanovic are all anticipated to return right after the intermission.
Hartenstein’s comeback will be extremely beneficial. Hartenstein is clearly smaller than the centers behind him, especially when you consider that he started the season as the team’s backup. Before the All-Star break, New York occasionally had to play the six-foot, eight-inch Achiuwa at center. Coach Tom Thibodeau will be happy to hear Hartenstein return.
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