Knicks Still Feeling the Strain of a Short Championship Offseason

The New York Knicks’ title defense has begun unevenly, with the team still adjusting after a short offseason following its championship run. Josh Hart described the competing demands as “a little conundrum.”

The Knicks played into mid-June, then faced a summer split between workouts and appearances tied to business opportunities, Hart said. That schedule took a toll, he said, and players’ bodies may need time to catch up.

Hart sat out the Knicks’ November 4 game against the Chicago Bulls with ankle soreness. It was the first time this season a Knicks starter had missed a game.

The Knicks became the first reigning NBA champions to lose their opening three games since the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. They have also lost twice to the Philadelphia 76ers, whom they swept in the second round five months earlier.