Raymond Felton Injury: Fractured Finger Will Not Slow Down New York Knicks

The New York Knicks just received some more bad news on the injury front, as starting PG Raymond Felton is reportedly going to miss up to six weeks with a pinkie fracture—according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

This is the latest in a long line of ailments impacting the Knicks—including a recent knee problem for superstar Carmelo Anthony, while Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert have yet to play due to injuries that occurred prior to the 2012-13 season opener.

Despite all of this, the Knickerbockers have found success through a third of the campaign, going 21-8 and trailing just the 20-6 Miami Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference.

While Felton certainly deserves much of this credit as the starting point guard (averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest), he is part of a capable veteran trio that includes Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd at the position.

We fully expect both players to log more minutes, which is something that may have been on the horizon before Felton fractured the finger. The seven-year man out of UNC was struggling due to reported bone bruises in his hand and was having a tough time shooting the ball.

With so much depth at the position, the Knicks can afford to go a few weeks without the starter in the lineup. Kidd has won a championship and is a crafty player at his advanced age, while Prigioni is enjoying success as a 35-year-old rookie that finally made the leap to the NBA.

As long as ‘Melo’s knee issue isn’t serious and it’s just a mild hyperextension, the star swingman should be back out on the court in no time. The team has been surviving and thriving with Anthony as the focal point, and Felton’s injury should only be a minor speed bump.

Don’t expect the Knicks to fall off anytime soon, even if the PG rotation may be a bit different for a month or so.