Last year’s Knicks didn’t suffer from an injury bug as much as the plague. After losing Mitchell Robinson, Julio Randle and AND Anunoby for a majority of their post-trade deadline season, Randle re-injured himself trying to make it back for the playoffs while the rest of the team’s key pieces went down one by one.
Robinson suffered a stress injury to his left ankle that required surgery, Anunoby injured his hamstring in the second round against the Indiana Pacers and Jalen Brunson broke his left hand in their losing Game 7 effort. Unfortunately, that cascade of injuries seems to be affecting this new season before it even begins.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, it would be “surprising” if Randle is ready to go before the start of training camp, with his return likely slated for Opening Night or even in the next few games. Besides that, as of two weeks ago, Robinson was still working through rehabilitation, and had to “clear several hurdles” to be ready for training camp.
While the Randle news may be alarming for some fans, it’s about what to expect. While many players return to action within two months of their original injury, Randle re-injured his separated shoulder trying to make it back for the postseason and required surgery.
In those cases, the standard recovery can be between 4-6 months. Randle’s surgery was in April, making October’s Opening Night the sixth-month mark.
Randle’s game is especially bruised and taxing on his shoulder, so the Knicks could play it especially safe with their new championship aspirations. There were not many similar cases in the recent history of the NBA, but Kevin LoveA similar injury and surgery in April of 2015 set him back in time to start the next season.
Robinson’s outlook is of course weaker. Strain injuries that require surgery can often keep players out for up to six months, and even longer with complications.
It was this same ankle that went under the knife in December for a stress fracture that kept Robinson out for four months. Re-injuring that ankle should, at the very least, mean a more cautious recovery for Robinson this time around, meaning the Knicks could very well enter the season without their starting center.
They might also have long-term concerns. Robinson has as many 30-game seasons as he does 60-game seasons as of 2020; multiple lower back injuries and surgeries to a big man can add up in scary ways.
The only bright spots were Brunson watching on the road and Anunoby not getting a mention. Brunson’s injury occurred in May, and although standard timelines differ based on multiple unknown factors, the full three-month times between his injury and training camp should be enough to expect him to be fully healthy come the new season.
Anunoby’s hamstring strain should be well behind him now. The most severe strains can take a few months to heal, but since he gave the Knicks a few Game 7 buckets, it was probably milder and should be fine.
With the possibility of going into the new campaign without their starting frontcourt, how can the Knicks adjust before a difficult opening schedule?
If Randle is only out for a while, they’ll likely move Anunoby up and start either Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Hart. While they’ll miss Randle’s creation and overall impact, we’ve seen New York pull off longer stretches with fewer weapons around Brunson before.
His recovery gives guys like Anunoby and rookie Mikal Bridges a chance to shine offensively, and those reps could help drive his role for the rest of the season. Both have shown terrible flashes and baffling absences in the face of greater offensive responsibilities, so the Knicks will need one to step up with the former.
The center position is the bigger adjustment, with less reliable backup options and potentially a longer wait time for reinforcements. Recently re-signed Precious Achiuwa looks to be next in line at the five and had big moments playing the position last season.
It could be that he goes out and gives the Knicks 35-plus solid minutes there. His mobility and changeability will help against Boston and he doesn’t shy away from fighting on the boards, but if he stays short, the Knicks can turn to more creative options.
Outside of a Jericho Sims jump, New York may need to turn to one of its forwards to play the fifth spot down the stretch. That could be Randle once healthy, or Anunoby out of the gates.
The latter saw some spot minutes at the position last season, even holding his own defensively Joel Embiid. Running a lineup with him in the middle and three other guys who can shoot, dribble, pass and defend around Brunson could wreak havoc.
The Randle-at-five setups are the same principle, just with extra strength and star power. Experimenting with these looks early in the season could be the silver lining to the Knicks’ injury woes.
Of course, the best case scenario is that all of these players return to full health soon. Knicks fans had more than enough injuries to deal with last season, and the team is ready to prove they are contenders with them off the road.
