Josh Hart's Injury Introduces Ripple Effects for Knicks' Game 6

Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts to a call against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When you think of the Knicks' best players, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby are likely going to be the first three names that come to mind. And so far in the playoffs, those three have done what they've needed to do. But the Knicks may not have a 3-2 lead in this series were it not for Josh Hart's contributions.

The ninth year man has done a little bit of everything this series. He's been amongst the team's best defenders, using his physicality to limit a much taller Jalen Johnson, and being one of the few to have any sort of luck slowing down CJ McCollum. He's alsofifth in these playoffs in deflections per game, and is tied for the sixth most rebounds per game.

So when reports surfaced Wednesday afternoon that Hart was officially listed as questionable for Thursday night's pivotal Game 6 with a lower back contusion, there was some justified concern amongst the fanbase. Knowing Hart, and his toughness, the consensus is that he'll give it a go. But if he can't give the Knicks his usual 30+ minutes, what would that mean for the Knicks?

Josh Hart's Game 6 injury could affect Knicks in multiple ways, even if he plays

The number one concern has to be on the defensive end. Head coach Mike Brown could replace Hart with Deuce McBride, or Landry Shamet, who has recently fallen out of the rotation.

Both have their pros, as well as their cons, but neither are quite what the Knicks need. McBride is the superior defender in vacuum, and would offer the Knicks another option to put on the likes of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the aforementioned McCollum.

The only problem is, McCollum didn't seem bothered by McBride earlier on in the series. Furthermore, despite being a great point-of-attack defender, McBride obviously cannot defend Johnson given the height difference.

Shamet being a couple inches taller could be of help, but he too is too small for Johnson. Without Hart, the Knicks likely have to change up some of their defensive coverages, shift Anunoby onto Johnson, and figure out the rest. That could mean a bit of a breakdown defensively, as well as less deflections-something Hart had been doing a great job of thus far.

Another thing they have to worry about is this injury weakening their rebounding advantage. Hart is more known for his offensive rebounding than his defensive rebounding, but he's good on both ends nonetheless.

With Towns spending some time defending Dyson Daniels on the perimeter, the Knicks have needed Anunoby, and Hart to pick up the slack on the boards. While the former will still be there to help out, missing a player who is currently averaging 10 RPG could be a big blow.

Offensively, the loss may not feel as bad. Hart is currently averaging 9.4 PPG while shooting 37% from the floor, and 15.8% from three. And as much as he will be missed defensively, his absence on the offensive end may give fans something they've been begging for all along.

If it's McBride to enter the starting lineup, Brown will have a lethal lineup where all five players are capable of hitting outside shots at a high clip. That could, and theoretically should, unlock Towns, and Brunson even more. Statistically speaking, this could be a positive for the Knicks as they were noticeably better when they played any two-man combination of the three wings instead of all three at the same time.

Again h/t @MaxWildstein https://t.co/n9wvgFn0YX pic.twitter.com/Lpu6Hp2qon

— ShwinnyPooh, Diawara playing time advocate (@shwinnypooh) April 26, 2026

That doesn't mean New York won't miss him on the offensive end at all though. Hart's offensive rebounding, along with Mitchell Robinson's, is something the Knicks have relied on as a unique, yet effective offensive strategy.

Even when the team gets stagnant, or cold, the offensive rebounding often makes up for it by providing them with extra opportunities-many of which lead to open threes. Hart's potential absence could mean less of that, as well as less of the transition opportunities he so often creates out of nothing.

Given the Knicks' talent, and their recent ability to figure out how to attack the Hawks' defense, New York should still beat the Hawks without Hart. That statement rings even more true if Hart plays, regardless of how serious the back pain is.

But, Hart's playoff performances have been very good, and certainly better than his boxscore suggests. While New York should still have the upperhand, losing Hart could present them with some tough challenges on both sides of the floor.