The Knicks have officially announced: Randle has undergone right shoulder surgery, which will be reimbursed for the season, and he will be evaluated in five months. In fact, Randle hasn't played in 2 months. He was treated conservatively, but he suffered another shoulder injury during training and had to undergo surgery.
On January 28 of this year, when the Knicks defeated the Heat, Randle suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the fourth quarter. He initially didn't want to undergo surgery and wanted to help the team make the playoffs. After his second injury, Randall consulted with two medical specialists, both of whom recommended surgery. The Knicks currently sit fifth in the East at 45-21 and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Teammate Josh Hart said: "Randle is an All-Star, he's a player who can make the All-Star team. Now that Randle is out for the season, we have to play more together!" Brunson said: "Randle is our brother and we want to keep him healthy and that's the most important thing. "Now we can only hope that Randle will be back next season.
Randle, Brunson, and Anunoby started at the same time this season, and the Knicks are 11-1! Now not only is Randle out for the season, but Anunoby is also injured. Anunoby has been sidelined for more than half a month since March 17. Coach Thibodeau responded: "OG is currently allowed to participate in 5v5 confrontation training, and it is getting closer and closer to a comeback. ”
The Knicks want Anunoby to return in the first round of the playoffs, and the team's goal is no longer the regular season. NBA Register Zach Lowe said, "If Anunoby and Randle don't come back, the Knicks can't compete with the Green Army and the Bucks. OG is a great fit for the Knicks, and I think he's bigger of a role than Randle. ”
Anunoby is injured in his right elbow and his return date is undetermined. He played in 17 games for the Knicks this season, with a team 15-2. Anunoby averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game for the Knicks, shooting 49.7%, 36.4% and 82.5% from three.
Many people think that Anunoby and Randle were scrapped by Thibodeau, after all, he has done this kind of thing before: the players he likes are used to death, and the ones he doesn't like are directly DNP. In fact, Anunoby played just two more minutes with the Knicks than the Raptors. Randle averaged 35.4 minutes per game, almost the same as in the previous two seasons.
Randle played in 46 games this season, averaging 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.2%, 31.1% and 78.1% from three. Randle was named an All-Star this season and received $1.3 million in bonuses, but he didn't play enough and his $1.28 million attendance bonus went up in the air.
Some fans said that Randle's inability to play in the playoffs is not necessarily a bad thing for the Knicks, after all, he was too stretched in the playoffs last year: averaging 16.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks per game, and shooting percentages from three: 37.4%, 25.8% and 70.9%. Final question: How much do you think Randle's inability to play in the playoffs will affect the Knicks?