The New York Knicks are set to open the 2018-19 NBA regular season on Wednesday, October 17 against the Atlanta Hawks. While the Knicks are not being viewed as contenders this season, there is a lot of excitement about the new young talent that they have put together. Another player with a lot of buzz surrounding him heading into his second season with the Knicks is shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Unfortunately, Hardaway sprained his wrist in tonight's final game of the preseason. Despite the injury, Hardaway said that he plans to play in the season opener, according to a report from ESPN's Ian Begley.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (wrist) says he will play opening night against Atlanta.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 13, 2018
New York is going to ask for a lot from Hardaway this season. They are going to need him to step up, especially when it comes to the offensive end of the court.
Last season with the Knicks, Hardaway ended up averaging 17.5 points to go along with 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He was only able to play in 57 of the 82 regular season games. Hardaway shot 42.1 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 31.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.
At 26 years old, Hardaway is in his prime and could not be more ready to show off his full skill-set this season. New York will be without Kristaps Porzingis following his torn ACL from last season. At this point in time, there is no timetable for his return or if he will return this season.
That will leave Hardaway as one of the main leaders for the Knicks. He is more than capable of stepping into that role and is certainly able to take his numbers even higher.
Expect to see Hardaway on the court next week against the Hawks. It will be intriguing to watch him this season and see what how much he has improved from last year, especially with an increased role.
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