The New York Knicks return to action against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night and may have to do so without one of their two 2024 NBA All-Stars. Julius Randle, who has been sidelined with a dislocated shoulder since the Knicks’ Jan. 27 matchup against the Miami Heat, has still not been given the green light to take the practice floor with his teammates.
Knicks: Head Coach Tom Thibodeau gives update on Julius Randle’s injury progression
Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News revealed the injury update yesterday on X:
Randle was in the midst of a resurgent stretch of play at the time that he went down. The three-time All-Star was averaging 22.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and an elevated 6.2 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field and an astounding 47.1% from the three as he helped lead the Knicks to six consecutive wins from Jan. 17 until his injury 10 days later.
The Knicks are a different team with and without Randle & other key rotation pieces
As a team, the Knicks began to falter following his ailment, going 4-5 the rest of the way into the All-Star break, which Randle did not participate in as a result of his rehab.
Now, the Knicks look to bounce back from a slew of infirmities that have rocked their core rotation. Randle’s availability will likely soon follow his return to five-on-five action in practice, but as for teammates OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, they’re making progress though still a ways away from returning as well.
Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles), Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) are all slated to suit up against the Sixers. However, a clearer picture will be painted just before the opening tip.