Getty Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks reacts for a call.
Former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry raised a level of concern about Julius Randle getting back his rhythm in time for the playoffs if he returns from a dislocated shoulder injury.
“Randle had missed all of the offseason with ankle surgery and we saw how long it took him to get back acclimated to start the season,” Perry said on the “NBA Today” on March 5. “There were calls for him to be traded because he started so slowly. The same thing happened in my last year in New York. He got injured in the last five games of the regular season after having a fantastic regular season and struggled in the playoffs because he never could get his rhythm back exactly. So that is going to be key here for the Knicks that he gets back to get that.”
Randle played through his ankle sprain and it affected his play in the playoffs. But the Knicks still reached the second round, pushing eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat to six games despite Randle shooting just 41.1% from the field and a horrendous 28.1% from deep.
To start this season, Randle averaged 13.7 points on a dismal 27.1% shooting overall and 22.5% shooting from deep in his first six games since the ankle surgery.
After shaking off the rust, Randle went off. He earned his All-Star berth until he dislocated his right shoulder against the Heat on January 27.
Julius Randle’s Recovery
Randle, who elected for rehab rather than a season-ending surgery, has already progressed to light contact drills. But Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau remains non-committal on giving a timetable for his return with only 20 games left in their regular-season schedule.
“He’ll be at a comfort level when he does come back. He’s handled his injuries that he’s had in the past well,” Thibodeau told reporters, per New York Daily News. “I think once he’s cleared, and usually what happens when a player goes through whatever injury they have, every player has to get back to where they trust their body again. And that usually doesn’t happen until there’s a play in the game where you go, ‘Hey, I’m OK.’
“So he’s doing all the work that he needs to do, and he’s making good progress, and just work your way through it.”
Scott Perry Hopes Knicks Get Time to Gel
The Knicks’ 14-2 record in January looked promising. But without time to get their injured starters to regain their rhythm back and gel with their new additions, Perry is wary of the Knicks’ chances in the playoffs.
“If they have a minimum of 10 games playing together going into the playoffs, that allows the new acquisitions like [Alec] Burks and [Bojan] Bogdanovic to go ahead and figure out how they’re going to fit in and then Thibs got to figure everything out in terms of the minutes,” Perry said on the “NBA Today.”
The Knicks have also added another veteran guard in Shake Milton, giving Thibodeau a roster crunch.
Perry is not as concerned with OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson than as much as he is with Randle because of their roles.
“Anunoby, even if he’s newer, will assimilate himself a little bit quicker,” Perry said on the “NBA Today.” “They’re going to need [Robinson] in the playoffs because he can really dominate a series on the interior with his rebounding and shot blocking.”