The New York Knicks have quite the chemistry to build for the 2024-25 NBA season, but that process may be halted due to the aftermath of last year’s injury bug.
The Knicks have a different roster makeup heading into the upcoming campaign. They have a promising rookie talent in Pacome Dadiet, another rookie sensation in Tyler Kolek who looks ready to hit the ground running, and two veteran combo forwards in Chuma Okeke and Keita Bates-Diop who have been an opportunity away from reaching their full potential, all needing to be ingratiated into the fold next to standout backup point guard Cam Payne and rising star Mikal Bridges as newcomers to the franchise.
However, the pecking order in New York includes All-Star Julius Randle and the NBA’s best offensive rebounder Mitchell Robinson at its pinnacle. However, both big men may not be ready to get warm this September.
Do you remember when Randle dislocated his shoulder on Jan. 27 against the Miami Heat or when Mitchell Robinson went down with a broken leg on Dec. 8 against the Boston Celtics, which cost him 51 games throughout the regular season? If the Knicks’ narrow loss to the Indiana Pacers in their seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series this past postseason wasn’t reminder enough, their recovery statuses over the next month surely will be.
Knicks: Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson in danger of missing parts of training camp
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Randle is slated to be ready to take the floor for the Knicks’ regular-season opener against the Celtics on Oct. 22, but perhaps no sooner, and had this to say about Robinson’s anticipated timetable for recovery (h/t Heavy Sports’ Alder Almo):
“So Robinson has to clear several hurdles before he gets clearance to fully participate in training camp,” Begley said.
Do the Knicks have enough scoring to survive should Randle miss the start of next season?
Randle being slated to return just in the nick of time is as much good news as it is bad. Positively, New York won’t have to tough it out for a few games to open the campaign without his 24 points and 5 assists per game from a season ago absent from their attack. Negatively, the Knicks would likely have to limit his minutes to ensure he returns to 100 percent without having broken a sweat in training camp or preseason.
That is also a best case scenario. Whether that takes shape or the Kentucky product misses time, the Knicks will have to position themselves to get buckets with their supporting cast stepping up behind 2024 MVP candidate Jalen Brunson. Bridges would be the incumbent replacement No. 2 option and OG Anunoby the No. 3 guy in New York in Randle’s stead.
The Knicks’ offense went through a rollercoaster ride in 2023-24, and peaked in December with Randle in the lineup. They averaged a season-high 124.8 PPG that month, as opposed to a season-low 99.4 PPG in March, just over a month into the three-time All-Star’s absence.
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The Knicks will need Bridges to look more like the player that put up north of 26 PPG in his first with the Nets post-2023 trade deadline than the rising star that regressed to 19.6 PPG over the full 2023-24 slate, or for OG Anunoby to eclipse 15 field goal attempts for the first time in his career, in order to shoulder the offensive burden against potent scoring big threes out East such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and defending champion Boston Celtics.
Do the Knicks have depth in the interior to offset Robinson’s potential absence?
As for the interior, the Knicks no longer have the luxury of having Isaiah Hartenstein to deploy behind Robinson. Encouragingly, New York does have uber-athletic center Jericho Sims who would be the likely stand-in for the five-year veteran. They also brought back versatile big man Precious Achiuwa to do work in the backup five role.
Robinson’s energy, rim protection, screen-setting, and most importantly, top-notch glass-cleaning efforts will be hard to duplicate. His backup, Precious Achiuwa, is a good rim protector who rejected 1.1 shots per game last season, and Jericho Sims, who also sees time at center, has the size to impose his will on the glass and take the next step next season. Albeit, New York may want to entertain filling their last roster spot with another true center that can do the dirty work in the interior.
