NBA reporter shares troubling update about Julius Randle’s injury

Nov 8, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitchell Leff-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being on the shelf for over two months now, Julius Randle may still have a long way to go.

NBA reporter Shams Charania appeared Monday on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” and had a concerning update about the New York Knicks star Randle.

“With Julius Randle, it’s a little bit more precarious,” said Charania. “This is someone that’s been out since January 27th. We’re already into April, and he still has not done anything more than controlled contact with that dislocated shoulder.”

Charania added that fellow injured Knick OG Anunoby (elbow) seems “more likely” to return at this point than Randle.

That is not what Knicks fans want to hear about the three-time All-Star Randle, who was averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game before going down. The Knicks end the regular season in less than two weeks, and while they would still have about three weeks before the start of the playoffs (factoring in the play-in tournament for other teams), Randle does not appear to be making very good progress right now.

In Randle’s absence, the No. 4 seed Knicks have turned to Josh Hart as a small-ball starting 4 with Precious Achiuwa and Bojan Bogdanovic coming off the bench. Though it helps that New York recently got Mitchell Robinson back from a lengthy ankle injury absence, Randle’s situation combined with that of Anunoby gives them some real uncertainty as the playoffs draw near.