PHILADELPHIA – When analysts and fans talk about playoff teams dealing with injuries, they should include Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle.
That was one point Josh Hart made on Thursday when he was asked about Randle, who is out for the postseason following shoulder surgery.
Hart was asked where the Knicks miss Randle the most.
“Oooh, that’s tough. Where do I start?” Hart said. “I mean: he’s an All-Star. He [averaged] 24-9-and-5 or whatever it is, so that playmaking, shot making, is something that we’re missing. It’s funny: when people talk about us they somehow forget the big void we have of 24-and-9 gone.
“It’s not like he’s out there with us 70-80 percent. He’s not out there. So that’s something that’s a big void that we knew was gonna be hard to fill; but his playmaking, his shotmaking, his energy is something that we definitely miss.”
Several stars have been sidelined by injuries in this postseason. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, and Miami’s Jimmy Butler are among the players who are out due to injury.
Hart has certainly stepped up in Randle’s absence. His play following Randle’s injury was pivotal in the regular season; he’s had a strong series so far against the Sixers, averaging 17 points, 12 rebounds (4 offensive), three assists, and one block per game.
Hart was one of several Knicks to make mistakes in the final minutes of their Game 5 collapse against the Sixers. He and his teammates have stressed the importance of learning from those mistakes and moving on from them ahead of Game 6 on Thursday.
“I think what this team is really focused on is being prepared when the ball tips,” Hart said. “At the end of the day, like I said, (Game 5) was a gut-wrenching loss for us. But when that ball goes up at 9 (pm) or 9:06 (pm) or… whenever that ball goes up, that game is wiped away and there’s nothing we can do about it. The only thing we can do is face adversity head-on and just play our game.”
