The Randle situation needs to be managed by the New York Knicks.
As the Knicks finished off a 125-109 victory over the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, two-time All-Star Julius Randle landed awkwardly at the end of a drive on Jaime Jaquez Jr. for New York, capping off an ongoing six-game winning streak. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Randle had an MRI on Saturday night after suffering a dislocated shoulder.
It was disheartening to witness Randle, who is notorious for rejecting the idea of load management, head straight into the Knicks locker room after winning another historic game.
You were aware that he should have gone to the locker room since you adore him for being a guy who perseveres despite hardships. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, head coach Tom Thibodeau declared in the aftermath, “He’s a warrior.” “You can tell when someone is acting strangely when they walk back.”
Point guard Jalen Brunson said, “It was an ‘oh s-t’ reaction,” as reported by Peter Sblendorio of the New York Dailey News. “With the way he’s been playing, especially, you don’t want to see that from anybody.” We really value him, so it’s obviously not ideal for him to return there. We’ll take it from there as soon as we identify the issue.
After defeating the team that had eliminated them from the Easter Conference quarterfinals last spring, New York (29–17) is currently a season-best 12 games over 500. They now have to hold their breath during one of the most productive plays in recent memory until a new diagnosis is made.
There’s no doubting Randle’s effect, even though he has developed a divisive image as the Knicks’ main attraction. While his comeback to All-Star form was one of the many reasons why New York posted the NBA’s best record in the new calendar year (12-2 after Saturday), his poor start to the 2023–24 season—his fifth as a Knick—lies virtually forgotten.
The Knicks may have dodged a serious medical disaster (Wojnarowski stated that the early x-rays “didn’t show much damage”), but with Obi Toppin out of the picture, it’s risky to think that Randle would be sidelined in any way. Toppin was dealt to the Indiana Pacers during the summer, and the Knicks didn’t take many steps to bolster their power forward depth. Toppin filled in well for Randle while he recovered from a late ankle injury.
Josh Hart might return to the starting lineup if Randle is forced to miss time, while Precious Achiuwa might become a further depth star. In the last four games, the latter has pulled down 40 rebounds in place of Isaiah Hartenstein, who made his comeback to the court on Saturday following a two-game absence due to an ankle ailment.
The Knicks are currently getting ready for their Monday night trip to Charlotte to play the struggling Hornets (7 p.m. ET, MSG) while they wait for a Randle update.
Leave a Reply