Knicks star Julius Randle during a game in the 2023-24 season. Image courtesy of The Athletic
He has missed the last two months with a shoulder injury, but desperately tried to avoid undergoing surgery. Now, it has been announced that New York Knicks star Julius Randle will, indeed, undergo the shoulder surgery, therefore missing the remainder of the season and postseason.
The news comes as there was a stagnation in updates from the team regarding the status of Randle. He dislocated the shoulder on January 27, his last day of play, and has missed every NBA game since. Randle has consistently rehabilitated and practiced during that time, with the hope of returning to the court this season and propel the Knicks to a deep playoff push.
Sidelined For the Season
But on Thursday, those dreams were shattered as the team announced that Randle would need the surgery. After consulting with doctors, it was decided that surgery would be the only option. If he receives it soon, he will be on track to return for the start of the 2024-25 season. The Knicks said that following the surgery, Randle would be re-evaluated in September.
The loss of Randle will severely damage the Knicks’ playoff hopes. The team reached its full potential in January with Randle, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby on the court together. That team went 14-2 in January and dominated the league, appearing like the team that could beat anybody come playoffs.
But now, they will officially be without Randle for this year’s playoffs, which will be a big blow. In 46 games this season, the 6-foot-8 center averaged 24 points per game. He has averaged 9.2 rebounds and 5 assists this season. He also shot 47.2 percent from the field en route to his third All-Star selection, though he was already injured at that point.
Already Pivoting
Randle is a valuable player that the Knicks will have to be without for the playoffs. But the team has already appeared to pivot towards life without the superstar, as indicated by Josh Hart a few days ago.
“I’m looking at it like this is the team we’re going to have,” Hart said. “I think that’s how we have to approach it, that those guys aren’t coming back and obviously we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they come back…we’ve got to approach every game and the end of this season that those guys aren’t coming back, and if they do, be pleasantly surprised.”
Anunoby’s Return
OG Anunoby is another starter who is still sidelined with an injury, of the elbow. He also injured the elbow in late January and actually returned for a few games in March. But a re-aggravation of the elbow has sidelined him again. The team has stated that Anunoby is closer to return, but with only seven games remaining in the regular season, time is running out.
The Knicks have fallen to fifth in the Eastern Conference thanks to a three-game losing streak. The East remains a tight race, with several teams within just games of each other. The loss of Randle will affect New York’s ability to jump some spots to gain a higher seed, which would help them out in the playoffs.
