Knicks' Noah will miss at least 3-4 weeks after undergoing knee surgery
Joakim Noah will be on the shelf until at least late March.
The New York Knicks center underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday afternoon and will be re-evaluated in three-to-four weeks, the team announced.
It was reported earlier in the day the operation could spell the end of the 2016-17 campaign for Noah. Based on the timeline the Knicks provided, the earliest check up on the 32-year-old's knee will be around March 20 - just three weeks before New York's regular-season finale.
Considering the big man's previously dealt with problems with the same knee in 2014 and the fact the team isn't in playoff contention, it doesn't seem like New York will try to rush the veteran back on the court. The club's currently four games out of the eighth seed in the East, but has just a two percent chance of making the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight.
The Knicks inked the former DPOY to a four-year deal worth over $72 million last summer. In his first year with his hometown team, Noah averaged 8.7 boards and five points on a true shooting percentage of just 49.5, but missed the last seven contests due to a strained hamstring.
Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O'Quinn figure to get more minutes at the five in Noah's absence.