The New York Knicks’ 2023-24 season was drastically impacted by injuries, and it’s possible the start of the 2024-25 season will be as well.
SNY’s Ian Begley provided Some offseason recovery updates will be released Wednesday for Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, who are all recovering from surgeries.
While Brunson should be ready for training camp after fracturing his hand in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, Randle and Robinson could still return to the court.
Begley writes that Randle’s recovery from shoulder surgery he had in April is going well and that he should be ready to play on opening night or “shortly thereafter.” While that’s a positive update, it’s still a bit surprising that Randle is basically questionable for opening night, which will be six months after the surgery.
Additionally, Robinson, who is recovering from season-ending ankle surgery he underwent in May, is not yet cleared for “high-intensity weight-bearing activities,” according to Begley.
Robinson’s recovery is far more concerning, as he underwent two surgeries on the same ankle last season. He played in just 16 games from Dec. 8 to May 6. Begley writes that Robinson still has several hurdles to overcome to fully participate in training camp.
It’s worth wondering whether both surgeries could cause the Knicks to get off to a slow start in the 2024-25 season.
If Randle isn’t ready to play on opening night, it means he’ll be limited in training camp. Even if Randle is healthy enough to play in the second game of the season, he’ll have to shake off some rust. Randle started the 2023-24 season very slowly and posted abysmal shooting numbers. He eventually admitted to reporters that he was still getting back into his rhythm after ankle surgery that summer. This time around, Randle will have been sidelined even longer — his last NBA game was on Jan. 27.
Robinson, meanwhile, is one of the key pieces for the Knicks to have a successful season. He has a big challenge to fulfill after the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent.
Even when Robinson returned last season and played the end of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, he wasn’t 100%. At times, Robinson limped up and down the court.
Like Randle, he may have an uphill battle to regain his rhythm, and it appears he has even further to go to become a full participant in training camp.
If Robinson can’t play, it means the Knicks will rely on Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims to play center. Both players have proven capable when called upon, but it’s not an ideal center rotation for a team with championship aspirations.
The Knicks will also be adding Mikal Bridges to the lineup. It should be an easier move than almost any other high-level player because of Bridges’ skills and comfort with the “Nova Knicks,” but it will be a move nonetheless.
Add all of this up and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Knicks had a rough start to the season. However, how the Knicks play in the first two weeks won’t determine how the rest of their season goes (remember, they started off slowly in each of the last two seasons), but it will be important for fans not to panic if the team is, say, one game under .500 two weeks into the season.
