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Already eliminated from the play-in tournament to determine the seventh and eighth seeds for the NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks have five games left to play before their campaign reaches its merciful end. That’s not to say, though, that those contests are meaningless.
On the contrary, there’s development that can occur now that Tom Thibodeau no longer has the worry of vying for wins. Ballers like Obi Toppin, Deuce McBride, Jericho Sims and Immanuel Quickley can get onto the court and state their cases for future opportunities. Moreover, New York’s veterans can finish on a strong note and enter the offseason with some much-needed good vibes.
Unfortunately, the player who probably needs that positive mojo the most — 2021 All-Star Julius Randle — may not be able to return to the floor.
“He’s out [Sunday] and most likely will be out the rest of the way,” Thibodeau said of Randle during Saturday’s shootaround, via the New York Post. “He’s had this nagging thing going on for a while.”
Randle’s Nagging Quad
Although Thibodeau isn’t expecting Randle to be back in the lineup before the season wraps, he stopped short of dismissing the possibility outright.
“We’ve got a week to go and he’s not going to travel [to Orlando] and now we’re down to three games,” Thibodeau said. “If he feels great, then there may be the possibility [of a comeback], but most likely, where we are… just let him get healthy and go from there.”
Randle, who is averaging 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season, has been plagued by a sore right quad for some time now. The injury caused him to miss three straight games in late March and has very clearly affected his play when he has been on the floor.
The 27-year-old isn’t the only Knicks player who may have played his last game of the season. For his part, point guard Derrick Rose’s return from a second ankle surgery looks to be similarly unlikely.
And, of course, Kemba Walker has already been shut down as Leon Rose and Co. consider his future in the Big Apple.
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Randle Facing an Uncertain Future, Too?
Next season marks the first year of a four-year, $117 extension for Randle and the Knicks. That said, some wonder whether his future — like that of Walker — might lie with some other team at this point.
As recently as this week, Randle has denied that having made any kind of trade request. Additionally, he has reaffirmed his commitment to making things work with the Knicks, a team he led to a top-four playoff seed in 2020-21. At the same time, things have gotten pretty bad this season.
Randle’s scoring average has dipped a whopping four points in ’21-22 and his effective field goal percentage of 45.9 is his lowest mark since his second year in the Association (in addition to being well below league average). Even more disconcerting: New York has been 9.6 points per 100 possessions worse when Randle has been on the court.
Along the way, he has gotten into it with Knicks fans, who have taken to booing him recently.
There’s still a chance that this season is little more than a blip on the radar for the two sides; just the regular peaks and valleys of NBA life. At the same time, though, it may behoove the Knicks to at least explore their options on the trade market this summer.
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