A risk of injuries turning the Knicks’ greatest strength into a chronic weakness

The Pacers were battered beneath by the Knicks a week and a half ago.
While Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson were absent, Isaiah Hartenstein (19 rebounds) and Jericho Sims (4 boards in 12 minutes) contributed to owning the paint.
In a victory at the Garden on February 1, the Knicks outrebounded Indiana by 16, which resulted in 10 more shot attempts than the Pacers.
On Saturday, the Knicks, a squad that is considerably different from the Pacers, were dominated by essentially the same team.
The Knicks were down their two best forwards and three best centers when Hartenstein and Sims joined the walking wounded.
With nine more rebounds than Tom Thibodeau’s team, the Pacers quickly took the lead and won.
“They murdered us on the

Suddenly, the Knicks — among the best at asserting themselves and dominating the inside — can be controlled.

Injuries have threatened to turn their greatest strength — in this case, literal strength, size and rim protection — into a weakness if these setbacks linger.

Jalen Brunson’s return Saturday sure helped, but what hurt most was the lack of the Knicks’ paint presences.

Without Robinson, Hartenstein, Sims, Anunoby and Randle, Thibodeau started Taj Gibson — on his second 10-day contract — and Precious Achiuwa underneath. Gibson was ineffective on an 0-for-4 night while Achiuwa (15 points and six rebounds) was a minus-12.

A team that entered NBA action Sunday as the fourth-best rebounding group in the NBA was outrebounded 41-32. Indiana’s starting frontcourt of Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam combined to go a silly 17-for-22 from the floor for 42 points.

“We have to gang-rebound,” Thibodeau said of a team that at one instance asked 6-foot-7 newcomer Bojan Bogdanovic to play center. “We’re not going to be able to rely on one or two guys. We have to put our bodies on people, and then we’re going to have to go fight for the ball. We’re small.”

There is a chance they will remain small for at least a little while. There has been no further update on Hartenstein, who has been called day-to-day after aggravating his sore left Achilles in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks.