NEW YORK — Josh Hart’s discomfort extends beyond just his finger.
The New York Knicks wing, who has played this season with a splint on his right ring finger, has a nerve injury in his hand, Hart told The Athletic before Sunday’s match with the Chicago Bulls. The affliction affects the fourth finger on his shooting hand the most, but feeling is also going in and out of his middle and pinky fingers, not just on the court but also in daily life tasks.
Hart suffered the initial injury in May and then underwent surgery to fix it after the Knicks’ 2024-25 season ended in the Eastern Conference Finals. By the end of the summer, he was back on the court. But not long before the start of training camp, Hart reinjured it. During a scrimmage at the team’s practice facility and with Hart on defense, Mikal Bridges drove to the hoop. Hart reached for the ball and felt an ache. It turned out he would require another surgery.
Hart said the operation would keep him out for three months. So, instead of getting the surgery done immediately, the 30-year-old has opted to play through the injury. Doctors told him he could delay the procedure until after the season without incurring much long-term risk.
“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” Hart said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”
So far, Hart is still learning how to play through the pain. After missing the team’s opener with a back injury, he has struggled over his first four games of the season, with his jump shot being especially unsound.
Hart has arguably the biggest role change of anyone on the Knicks’ roster. He was a staple for former head coach Tom Thibodeau last season, playing the second-most minutes in the NBA last year (2,897). But Hart has now found himself coming off the bench and playing less under new head coach Mike Brown in the early season.
The veteran quite possibly had the best year of his career a season ago, averaging 13.7 points, a career-high 9.6 rebounds and a career-best 5.9 assists. Hart set the franchise record for most triple-doubles in a season with nine.
Hart said Friday that, between the change in role, the injuries and a new coach, he’s still adjusting to his new life on the court, and that it could take some time.
“I’m cool with not starting,” Hart said. “That’s what I want to do for the season. For me, there’s a different way to approach it mentally. Obviously, when you have guys who are questionable and a game-time decision, then my role might be different and I might not know what my role is until there’s an hour on the clock or 35 minutes on the clock. So, it’s one of those things … if I’m not going to start, I’m totally cool with it. I don’t want to be, like, the next starter up because then everything is varying by game. I want more of a consistent role so that I can affect that role.”
