Getty New York Knicks wing Damyean Dotson defends Saben Lee of the Detroit Pistons.
Slowly but surely, the New York Knicks are clearing out their COVID-19 list. However, injuries continue to be a problem and the team still has multiple players in health and safety protocols as well. A particularly important player joined the latter group on Thursday.
As reported by Knicks PR, All-Star big man Julius Randle has entered protocols and will be out for the team’s New Year’s Eve road tilt with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Per the NBA‘s updated protocols, asymptomatic and vaccinated players can be cleared to resume basketball activities after five days if their cycle threshold (CT) levels are above 30; CT levels can be an indicator of how infectious an individual might be.
Players can also test out of protocols by returning two negative PCR results 24 hours apart. Otherwise, they must remain in quarantine.
Randle had clearly been laboring on the hardwood recently. Over his last two games, he has averaged just nine points per contest on 7-of-31 shooting. Meanwhile, the Knicks have been outscored by 25 points when he has been on the court.
New York now has four players in protocols — Randle, Wayne Selden, Jericho Sims and Nerlens Noel. So, in an effort to keep things rolling, the team has opted to re-up with a pair of replacement players.
Knicks Re-Sign Dotson & Mooney
Per an announcement from the team on Friday, the Knicks have signed wing Damyean Dotson and guard Matt Mooney to their second 10-day hardship deals. Both players signed their first contracts with the Knicks this season on December 21.
Dotson, of course, previously spent three seasons in New York from 2017 to 2020. During the 2018-19 campaign, he appeared in 73 games for the club — starting in 40 of them — and averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals per contest while hitting 36.8% of his triples.
Since returning to the Knicks, Dotson has played in just two games. During a December 23 loss to the Washington Wizards, he logged 16 minutes of action and scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting.
Mooney, meanwhile, saw two minutes of action during the Knicks’ Christmas Day bout with the Atlanta Hawks and missed his only shot attempt. According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, he didn’t make the trip to OKC.
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Obi Toppin Gets the Start in Randle’s Place
With Randle out for the time being, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has indicated that Obi Toppin will join the first five at the power forward spot, as relayed by the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy. The move could provide something of a silver lining for Knicks fans.
Toppin, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has made tremendous strides during his second year in the professional ranks. Through 30 games played, the 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and one assist in 15.7 minutes per contest.
His net rating of 13.4 is the best mark on the team among those logging 100 or more minutes this season.
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