Knicks, Julius Randle Finally Get Good Injury News
A Julius Randle injury update from SNY's New York Knicks insider Ian Begley is just what the doctor ordered.
In a Thursday video post from SNY, Begley offered a positive forecast on the status of Randle, the Knicks' newly-minted three-time All-Star. Randle, one of several ailing Knicks regulars, is continuing to recover from a dislocated shoulder and has missed the past eight games.
"I’ve heard during this period that there’s been some positive progression here during the rehab. I think that’s left people with even more reason to be optimistic that Randle will be back at some point this season," Begley said. "I don’t know if they’re out of the woods yet, but certainly, the progress that he has made over the last couple of weeks during this rehab stretch has left people excited about the possibility of him coming back.”
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Randle sustained the injury during the final stages of the Knicks' win over Miami on Jan. 27. He's one of several New Yorkers working off long-term ailments, as the Knicks have also been forced to go without OG Anunoby (elbow) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle). New York has gone 3-5 without Randle in the lineup, a stretch that includes a 118-100 loss in Orlando on Thursday. That loss, the Knicks' fourth in a row, saw New York dress only nine healthy men, as Bojan Bogdanovic (calf), Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), and Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) all sat out.
Randle's injury didn't stop voters from naming him to his third All-Star Game, though he'll be unable to partake in this weekend's festivities in Indianapolis. A slow start to the 2023-24 season, his fifth in a Knicks uniform, has been rendered long forgotten, as Randle has put up averages of 24 points and 9.2 rebounds in 46 appearances this season.
Even as they try to keep pace with the Eastern Conference's elite, the Knicks (33-22) will likely look to play it safe with Randle considering the way last year ended: Randle suffered an ankle injury in the late stages and was able to return for the 10-game playoff run but hardly resembled his regular season self (16.6 points on 37 percent from the floor).
