On Monday, the Knicks were at home to face the Pistons. New York won 124-99 and improved to 43-28 on the season. That is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 11 games left in 2023-24. For the majority of the season, the Knicks have been without two of their starting frontcourt players.
Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson have both missed extended time for the Knicks. Robinson has been out since the beginning of December. However, Stefan Bony of the New York Post reported that Robison is close to returning. Randle’s injury update was not as positive. The three-time all-star has still not been cleared for contact after suffering a shoulder injury. Not ideal for the Knicks who have 11 games left in the 2023-24 regular season.
When will Julius Randle make his return for the Knicks?
Julius Randle is doing more, feeling better but not yet cleared for contact.
OG was at shootaround and did some stuff but is still waiting for elbow to calm down.
Mitchell is closest to coming back.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 25, 2024
It’s not time for Knicks fans to panic but they should monitor the situation of Julius Randle. The 29-year-old PF has been out for the last 25 games in a row. Randle has made 46 starts this season for the Knicks and last played on 1/27 vs. the Miami Heat. New York’s all-star forward injured his shoulder trying to take a charge. He’s slowly progressed through the rehab stages but time in the regular season is quickly running out.
With only 11 games left in the regular season, the clock is ticking for Randle to return. Ideally, New York wants him to play a few games before the postseason starts. However, they do not want to rush Randle back and risk re-injuring his shoulder. The Knicks are lucky to have a ton of depth on their roster that has kept the team winning all season. Stefan Bondy reported that Randle is doing more and is feeling better. Despite that, he hasn’t been cleared for contact and there’s no timetable for his return.
The clock is running out on Julius Randle returning in time to contribute to a Knicks playoff run. It takes AT LEAST 5 games to reintegrate a ball dominant player into the offense and that needs to happen before the playoffs. He’d need to seriously ramp it up in the next week (1)
— Paul Knepper (@paulieknep) March 26, 2024
The Knicks are being patient with Randle but there’s only so much time left. Right now, Randle’s rehab process has essentially stalled. He cannot move forward until he’s cleared for contact. Until then, Randle will be stuck without a timetable to return. That’s concerning for Knicks fans who hope to have a deep playoff run in 2023-24. For now, the team waits until Randle is cleared for contact and can continue his rehab progression.
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