Knicks don’t seem to believe Julius Randle, OG Anunoby will return
The New York Knicks are coming off another disappointing loss after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, the Knicks have played largely short-handed over much of the season, and reality is beginning to seep that New York will likely go the rest of the season without All-Star Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.
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“I’m looking at it like this is the team we’re going to have,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said when asked if there was anything to take away from New York’s performance with three starters — Anunoby (elbow), Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — unavailable. “I think that’s how we have to approach it, that those guys aren’t coming back and obviously we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they come back.
“I’m not in those medical conversations or anything like that, so I don’t know s— from s—. But we’ve got to approach every game and the end of this season that those guys aren’t coming back, and if they do, be pleasantly surprised.”
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The Knicks haven’t been fully healthy throughout much of the season. Randle has been trying to return from a separated shoulder injury. The All-Star big man has progressed in his rehab but hasn’t progressed beyond a “controlled contact” workout.
Meanwhile, Anunoby has been sidelined with a right elbow injury that required surgery but has extended his ability. Head coach Tom Thibodeau voiced that he believes Anunoby could before the playoffs.
“We just deal with reality,” Thibodeau said. “You deal with it day-to-day. When he’s strong enough, he gets out there.”
Time will tell if the Knicks will return to full health before the playoffs.
