How will the New York Knicks cope with Julius Randle having season ending surgery?
As they prepare for a playoff run, the Knicks do so knowing they won’t be able to count on one of their key players who is now set to go under the knife.
While it’s true that the Knicks have got to this point largely without one of their best players who has been out since January with a dislocated shoulder, there was hope that he could return in time for the playoffs. Those hopes have unfortunately now been dashed.
Knicks’ Julius Randle to have season ending surgery
According to reports earlier this week, the New York Knicks are set to lose the services of Julius Randle for the rest of this campaign. As mentioned above, the 29-year-old has been out since the first month of the year with a shoulder problem and as things stand, has not been clear for anything beyond controlled contact drills. This, despite seeking the consultation of two specialists who advised that there was a risk of permanent damage if he tried to play again without corrective surgery.
It goes without saying that this is a significant blow for the Knicks who are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with just under two weeks left in the regular season. If you didn’t know, Randle was the second leading scorer for New York with an average of 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists on an efficient 47.2% from the field. Indeed, whenever Randle has been on the court this season, the Knicks have scored seven more points than when he’s off of it. To that end, we can expect to see Jalen Brunson having to carry even more weight, something he’s already been doing.
Of course, there is also another damaging side to this i.e., news of Randle’s situation comes on the back of apparent confirmation that the team won’t see the return of ‘OG’ Anunoby either, something that Knicks forward Josh Hart admitted he would be “pleasantly surprised” to see. To be clear, Hart was speaking in the context of focussing on the players that are available rather than those who are not as they approach the playoffs, but it remains clear this is not ideal. Where is concerned, he has been recovering from an elbow injury but to date there have been no updates about when he could potentially return. Ultimately, the Knicks have gone 15-14 in the time that Randle has been out and now that it’s official that he won’t be returning, the focus will fall squarely on those who have had to step up in his absence. With that in mind, we can expect to see the likes of Donte DiVincenzo coming to the fore, along with Isaiah Haternstein and Mitchell Robinson. If there is a silver lining, it’s the fact that Randle will come back and when he does the Knicks - assuming they can keep this group together - will be one of the teams to watch in the East.