Andrea Bargnani ruled out for Knicks' first 3 games
Andrea Bargnani will begin the second season of his heretofore unglamorous New York Knicks tenure in street clothes.
The 7-foot Italian forward has been ruled out for at least the first three games of the 2014-15 campaign thanks to the hamstring strain that's sidelined him since the Knicks preseason opener on Oct. 8, Scott Cacciola of the New York Times reports.
Bargnani, a former No. 1 overall pick, is entering the final season of a five-year, $50-million contract, and if he's to get a deal even remotely close to that one this offseason he'll have to prove he can stay on the court. Over the past three seasons, he's missed more games due to injury (138) than he's played in (108).
Cacciola reports that Jason Smith is likely to start at power forward in Bargnani's place, though Quincy Acy is also rumored to be in the mix.
Bargnani started 39 of the 42 Knicks games he suited up for last season, averaging 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.