Josh Hart’s finger problem wasn’t resolved. If anything, it got worse.
The Knicks forward revealed Tuesday that re-aggravated his surgically-repaired ring finger on his right shooting hand, which likely means he’ll wear a splint this season before another procedure next summer.
Hart said he hopes the splint won’t disrupt his game, although the 30-year-old acknowledged uneasiness with the idea.
“I’m still trying to figure it out. Me, personally, I hate playing with anything on my hand,” said Hart, whose finger remains visibly swollen. “I don’t feel like I have a good feel for it. It might take a little getting used to, but that’s the best scenario for me right now and I want to be out there with these guys and I’m going to do everything I can to be out there with these guys.”
A much less appealing option is Hart getting so uncomfortable that he undergoes surgery sooner, shelving him during the season.
He wouldn’t rule that out but remains optimistic about playing through the discomfort.
“I just try to go out there and play how I play and if I can’t play how I play and be aggressive and kind of have that toughness mentality I normally play with, then I have to figure out a different path,” said Hart, who shot 33% on 3-pointers last season on 3.3 attempts per game.
“But right now, the full expectation is to go out there and hoop and help this team be successful and at the end of the year when I have some downtime (I fix the finger).”
Hart injured his finger during the playoffs and, at the time, believed it was a dislocation.
He then underwent “a procedure,” according to an announcement by the Knicks in July, although there was never an official labeling of the injury or the surgery.
On Tuesday, Hart indicated there was confusion about the diagnosis, saying, “I actually know what’s wrong instead of last year thinking it was one thing and then taking a break and getting back into basketball and it was worse than I thought. With that being said, I’ll be good.”
Hart’s a streaky shooter who has alternated between red-hot from beyond the arc – like his first half-season with the Knicks – to a liability that opposing teams leave unguarded on the perimeter – like in the last playoffs.
Hart was unable to practice his shot for most of the summer because of the finger procedure, and it’ll be worth monitoring in preseason how a splint impacts his efficiency/confidence.
Hart, who led the NBA in minutes per game last season while setting the franchise record for triple-doubles, is also the prime candidate to move to the bench if new coach Mike Brown alters the starting lineup.
“I had the best year of my career last year, but that’s in the past,” said Hart, who also navigated knee inflammation last season. “I think I’m a starter in the league. I think I deserve to be a starter in the league, but at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the team. Last year, I talked about sacrifice the whole time and kind of being that separate mentality and being a good steward of my gifts and those kinds of things. So I think it would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand to start and all those kinds of things. So, whatever Mike wants to do or doesn’t wanna do, I’m cool with. And time will tell what that is.”
