'We'll See!' Knicks All-Star Julius Randle Offers Injury Update
Julius Randle's shoulder is dislocated. His sense of humor, however, is fully intact, as evidenced in his response to a Wednesday query about his return to Madison Square Garden hardwood.
"I think I'm planning on being back on the court April 1st probably. Nah, I'm just kidding," New York Knicks star said in video from SNY. "I'm just taking it a day at a time, to be honest. Every day I'm getting stronger and better ... I'm just trying to stay locked in on what I have to do to continue just to get healthy, not just physically but mentally as well."
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Randle is still recovering from the ailment sustained toward the end of Jan. 27's win over Miami. Though the Knicks have managed to make do without Randle thanks to the continued efforts of Precious Achuiwa, there's no doubt the team misses Randle's efforts, which were rewarded with his second All-Star nomination. Randle was one of several New York regulars missing from the lineup in the final stages of the pre-All-Star slate, which saw them lose their final four and five of their last six.
Though the Knicks might get some of their lost men back when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG), Randle won't be among them as he's still weighing his options for the rest of the season. He was optimistic in his first public comments since the injury though he didn't rule out a potentially season-ending procedure.
“I mean, we’ll see. There’s still necessary steps. It’s a process to everything. I have to weigh out everything ultimately and decide from there," Randle said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "But right now I’m just focused on trying to avoid [surgery], obviously, and get back on the court as soon as I can."
“I’ve heard many different opinions. Both, so we’ll see,” Randle said. “I like how I feel today as far as getting better, feeling stronger, progressing to where I need to be, as far as getting on the court. But I’m never somebody to say never, so ultimately I have to do what’s best for myself to have a long career, have longevity in this. The training staff has been great, getting me back healthy and feeling better, so it’s a process.”
The Knicks (33-22) know what it's like to go through a crucial stretch without Randle, having already missed the final stages of last season with an ankle injury that clearly messed with his rhythm during last spring's 10-game playoff trip. Though moves at the trade deadline likely made the Knicks one of the deepest teams in the NBA on paper, there's no doubt they'd like a few games to build chemistry for what they hope is a long postseason run.
Time will tell if Randle is able to be a part of it in old New York.
