This has been a successful season for the New York Knicks with them having a 44-31 record, even with an injury bug biting their roster at points this year. However, one of those bites has now cost them one of their best players for the season.
Julius Randle, their three-time All-Star selection and two-time All-NBA selection, has not appeared since January 27th due to a shoulder injury. Now, after weeks of rehabilitation in hopes of returning for the postseason, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that a surgery will be his next step, which will end his season in The Mecca.
Randle appeared in 46 games this season before the injury. In those outings, he averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists while shooting 47.2% from the field. That was enough to earn him the third All-Star selection of his career, even if he needed a medical replacement.
This was Randle’s 10th professional season. He has played for a trio of franchises in the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Knicks for the last five.
Randle is one of several key Knicks to miss time with injury throughout the season. Mitchell Robinson just recently returned from an ankle surgery that sidelined him for three months. OG Anunoby, who New York traded this year, has also played in just three games over the past two months. That’s due to an issue with his elbow that has developed since his arrival.
This has been unfortunate for the Knicks with how well this season has gone at times. With seven games to go, they’re on pace to and could post their best record in 11 years. Most of that comes from a stretch over the month of January and into February where they went 16-3. After that, though, is when the injury report started to fill up for them.
This loss will put even more pressure upon the shoulders of Jalen Brunson, especially with the playoffs almost here. It’s a load that he has carried well in his second season with the franchise. He is having a career-best year at 27.8 points and 6.6 assists. It’ll also fall upon their supporting cast, which, ironically, includes two other former Villanova Wildcats, in Josh Hart and Donte Divincenzo.
Randle has been an important piece for New York since his arrival in 2019. That includes what will soon be a trio of playoff appearances over the past four years.
Still, he is now lost for the year, which leaves it up to the Knicks to play well in the postseason without one of their star players.
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