Knicks' Julius Randle to be reevaluated in two to three weeks
Julius Randle of the New York Knicks reacts after a shoulder injury against the Miami Heat in the second half at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 27, 2024. Credit: TNS/Mitchell Leff
Five days after Julius Randle dislocated his right shoulder, the Knicks provided the first official update on Thursday: He will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.
The initial belief after X-rays and an MRI on Saturday night, as well as additional testing, was that Randle avoided major structural damage. This report lines up with that. While the team still has not ruled out the possibility of surgery, he already has begun the rehab process and there is optimism that he will be back before too long.
“Yeah, I don’t know the specifics on it,” coach Tom Thibodeau said when asked if surgery absolutely has been ruled out. “I know the rehab has started and I feel sorry for the [physical therapists]. You know the way Jules works. So he’s upbeat and he’s feeling better, so just take it day by day and hopefully everything goes well.
“You know his makeup. That’s what you love about the guy. It’ll be full-bore. He’ll give it everything he has to get back as quick as he can. But we’re not going to put him in harm’s way. We’re going to make sure he’s healthy before he gets out there. But we’re encouraged.”
It may not be as important as the rehabilitation work, but Randle on Thursday was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team by the coaches as a reserve, joining Jalen Brunson on the squad. Randle obviously will not play and NBA commissioner Adam Silver will name an injury replacement.
The Knicks won their first two games without Randle — as well as OG Anunoby, who also sat out the wins over Charlotte and Utah with right elbow inflammation — stretching their winning streak to eight games before hosting Indiana on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. In addition to Randle and Anunoby, Quentin Grimes was unavailable.
The current timetable would bring Randle to the All-Star break. In a best-case scenario, the lengthy time off could allow him to return Feb. 22 when the Knicks start up the post-break portion of the schedule in Philadelphia.
Entering Thursday, the Knicks had not lost a step without Randle, ascending to third place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind second-place Milwaukee. While Josh Hart and Precious Achiuwa have filled in admirably, the team still undoubtedly is better with Randle and his 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
“I was just praying his injury wasn’t worse,” said Taj Gibson, who was re-signed after Randle’s injury. “I’ve been around him when he first came in, so I understand where his heart is at. If you know Jules, if you’re hearing the news that they just said, he’s going to push that ahead of time. He’s playing for something special. He believes in his work. He’s just one of those guys, he doesn’t miss time. That’s one of the things I love about him. He’s just a complete competitor.’’
Randle suffered the injury with 4:27 remaining in the Knicks’ win over Miami when he drove to the basket, collided with Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and crashed to the floor.
“I know what he means to our team,” Thibodeau said. “And so I like the way our team has responded. We know we can’t replace what he does individually, so we have to do that collectively. But the encouraging thing is obviously we’re hopeful that everything goes well, and we think it will. But we’re pleased knowing his makeup. The way he works, he’ll be back as soon as he can be back.”
Before suffering the injury Saturday, Randle had not missed a game this season, even though he was still working his way into shape at the beginning of the season after offseason surgery on his left ankle.
Randle played the first 77 games last season before a sprained ankle shut him down. He returned for the playoffs and played through the pain, undergoing the surgical procedure shortly after the Knicks were knocked out in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After his rookie season was cut to one 14-minute appearance before a broken leg sidelined him for the rest of the season, he has gone through two seasons without missing a game in his career.
“I think he’s been through things before and I think that serves him well,” Thibodeau said. “I think he knows how to approach it from a mental standpoint, and so as I mentioned it to you guys before, I think the fact that he’s in great shape, I think it helps him as well.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
