"Running from Evan Mobley smoke" - NBA fans stunned as Knicks rules out Josh Hart & 7-foot defensive anchor in season opener vs Cavaliers

The New York Knicks will open their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. However, two of NY's best players will miss the season opener because of injuries. On Tuesday, New York announced that Josh Hart and their seven-foot big man, Mitchell Robinson, are out for the first game of the season.

Hart is dealing with a back injury, while Robinson is out because of load management. The Cavs finished last season as the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, while the Knicks made it to the semifinals in the postseason.

The fans online were not pleased with Hart and Robinson's not playing in the game, which is shaping up to be a great competitive game to open the season. They flooded social media with opinions on the players' absence.

"Running from Evan Mobley smoke," one fan said.

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"Load management when you haven’t even stepped foot onna court 😂😂" another fan said.

"Mitchell Robinson managing Game 1? Guess he’s saving that ankle for the midseason Netflix special.😂 Josh Hart’s back must be practicing for the bench warming Olympics. Knicks fans, enjoy the season with a pop corn. We're just getting started 😂" another fan said.

One fan trolled New York for resting Robinson before the season even began.

"Lmfaoooooo already resting players before the season starts, the Knicks are already worried," the fan commented.

"How the fuck do you load manage on the first f****ng game ???" another fan said.

"OH F**K NO! Not this year! Hey Adam sliver crack down on this s**t, Josh I can understand but Mitchel Robinson," another fan said.

Knicks coach Mike Brown speaks on Mitchell Robinson missing season opener because of 'load management'

The New York Knicks coach, Mike Brown, attended a pregame press conference before the season opener against the Cavs on Tuesday. During the conference, Brown was asked about Mitchell Robinson missing the game because of load management without even playing a single game yet.

New York's coach revealed that Robinson has been away from the court since the middle of last week. He emphasized that the big man was not injured, and the franchise was only being cautious with him.

"Really, it's load management," Brown said. "Which means that, obviously, if we deemed it necessary, could he possibly go? Yeah, he could possibly go. He missed a lot of games last year so we want to be cautious going forward with him. That's about the extent of it right there."

Mitchell Robinson had to deal with consistent injuries last season, which kept him on the sidelines for more time than he might have wished for. Last season, he played only 17 games while starting in only three.

About the author

Avi Shravan's first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore.

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Edited by Avi Shravan