Injured Knicks star has one final hurdle to clear before returning to action

There aren’t many teams in the NBA that have had to deal with the number of injuries the New York Knicks have navigated during the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, which New York has learned the hard way this season.

Everyone on their roster has missed at least one game this season, with Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo leading the way with 67 games played apiece out of 68. When accounting for the injuries and trades the team has made, 25 different players have made an appearance for the Knicks this season.

The team’s frontcourt has been hit especially hard by injuries. Center Mitchell Robinson, the starter coming into the season, has been sidelined since December 8th. OG Anunoby, who was acquired from the Toronto Raptors ahead of the new year, missed 18 games because of an elbow issue, played in three and is sidelined again.

Arguably the biggest loss, however, has been that of NBA All-Star, Julius Randle. Randle was injured on Jan. 27 while playing against the Miami Heat. He went up for a layup when Jaime Jaquez Jr. slid underneath him trying to take a charge. Unable to brace his fall, Randle fell hard on his right arm and dislocated his shoulder.

There haven’t been many updates provided on Randle, as he has avoided surgery to this point but it remains a possible avenue. According to a Tuesday report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv, there are some people concerned that Randle has yet to be cleared for contact.

“As SNY reported last week, there was some internal concern regarding the idea that Randle hadn’t yet been cleared for contact. As of the Kings game, Randle still hadn’t been cleared to take full contact. It’s unclear if he’s been cleared for contact in the ensuing days,” wrote Begley.

Contact is the last stage that Randle has to get past in his recovery process. He is doing everything else on the court, as the workouts that he is going through before the Knicks play have looked intense.

However, according to Begley, there is optimism from several people that Randle will be out there eventually. “Three people I spoke to who are familiar with the situation expressed confidence that Randle would ultimately return to the court,” Begley wrote.

Getting Randle back into the lineup would be a huge boost for the team. Even if he is only at 80-90 percent effectiveness, that still makes him a more impactful player than many people in the NBA.

An All-NBA performer in two out of the last three seasons, Randle was well on his way to achieving that status again this season before the shoulder injury. Someone not afraid to play through pain, it will be interesting to see how much his game has to adjust given the physicality that he normally plays with on the court.