The 2023-24 NBA regular season looked to be such a promising one for the New York Knicks. For a few weeks, they were the most dominant team in the league, blowing out their opponents with regularity as they had an elite defense and offense.
They would overwhelm their opponents with physicality and aggressiveness, getting up into them on defense. On offense, they hit the offensive glass hard, as they found the perfect balance of two-way performance with their lineup.
Alas, that perfect balance lasted for only about a month before injuries hit the team hard. Starting forwards OG Anunoby and Julius Randle have both been dealing with long-term injuries and there is worry that neither of them will be healthy enough to return before the NBA Playoffs.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, New York Knicks Updates
Guard Josh Hart shared ominous comments after the team’s loss on Sunday night. He said they need to prepare as if what they have is the group they will have moving forward and it will be a pleasant surprise if Anunoby or Randle are back in the mix.
On Monday, NBA insider Shams Charania echoed that sentiment. During an appearance on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, Charania offered an update on the two Knicks stars. He reported that they are in a wait-and-see approach, but it seems more likely that Anunoby will return than Randle.
“For the Knicks it’s really a wait and see approach, it seems OG Anunoby is more likely than Julius Randle at this point,” Charania said to Michele Beadle and former NBA players Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams.
That is certainly not what Knicks fans wanted to hear. There isn’t much they can do as they just need to wait for the swelling and inflammation to go down in Anunoby’s elbow before he can get back to work.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, New York Knicks Updates
When that will occur, is anyone’s guess at this point. It will eventually happen, as Charania framed it as a when not if scenario. Anunoby has produced historic plus/minus numbers with the Knicks and his loss has been felt greatly.
Randle’s situation is tougher to navigate. He has not played since January 27th and we are now in April. He has still not progressed beyond controlled contact because of the dislocated shoulder that he suffered.
Randle is putting in serious work during pre-game workouts, but until he clears that last hurdle, he won’t be back on the court. With each passing day, his chances of getting back in the mix for the NBA Playoffs go down.
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