Source: Jim McIsaac / Getty
The Knicks previously expected to make a deep playoff run with
Julius Randle and
OG Anunoby. Both players, alongside Mitchell Robinson, helped show how good the team was. The team continued to stay competitive and in the top half of the Eastern Conference despite all three players being out, which excited fans for the playoff-ready return.
But now we know that Randle’s been ruled out for the entire season and will undergo surgery on his shoulder.
ESPN Insider
Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news Thursday morning, following a two-month attempt to rehab that shoulder enough to lead his team in the playoffs.
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“After two months of rehabilitation to attempt a return to the New York Knicks, All-NBA forward Julius Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery,” Woj tweeted. “Randle – who’s been out since dislocating his shoulder on Jan. 27 – had been relentlessly rehabilitating to resume playing prior to the playoffs, but doctors warned him that his shoulder’s continued instability made it unsafe for him to play again this season.”
Soon after, the Knicks confirmed the heartbreaking season-ending news.
“Julius Randle will have surgery on his right shoulder. He will be re-evaluated in 5 months,” the team’s PR team tweeted.
Now, with Brunson leading the team despite the ball being in his hands a lot, Anunoby will need to make a comeback in case the fifth-place, two-game cushion they have fails and they slide into the play-in-game territory.
Aunonby suffered
“right elbow tendinopathy” and has only played three games since Randle was injured, but their short 12-2 stint proved they can do something special.
Anunoby’s looking for a major contract this offseason –which is partially why the Toronto Raptors traded him– and if the Knicks open up their wallet, the Knicks could make a just as impressive run into the 2024-25 season.
See how angry (and mostly sad) Knicks fans are about Randle undergoing surgery.
