The Knicks Injury Report thread.

[stuporman]

Let me say it again for those who may get upset that OG and Randle will continue to get ruled out of the next 4 games...the Knicks FO probably saw the stretch against teams with losing records as a way to let the players heal while still being able to compete in the playoff run.

Mitch may come back in that stretch and possibly even OG though I suspect he won't return until the home game against OKC but I'm not expecting to see the two forwards or even Mitch on the court until April. That's simply my opinion, not claiming any sources, just speculation.

So don't get bent if that's what happens.

[knicks94]

Randle is turning 30 in November. You're not stepping off the cliff at 30.

You know who also has a few awful playoffs under his belt? KAT. Outside his breakout season, Siakam isn't great in the playoffs, either. I am not going to hold it over Randle's head that in his 1st playoff appearance ever, on the brightest stage, he couldn't carry a team of Bullock, Gibson, RJ, and Rose to the promise land. Then he proceeded to play hurt in his 2nd appearance. I find that asinine that we -- the supposedly smartest NBA fanbase in American -- can't understand that context.

Whose -- available -- is going to give this team 24/9/5 with his contract? And I wanted to trade him this offseason. But the Randle the Knicks had last season, compared this Randle, means something. There was obviously a top dog mentality with Julius last season that has disappeared this season. That Randle I didn't like. This guy? Yeah, he has my support.

You don't like him. That's fine, I get it, that's your opinion, but don't try to rationalize it with ESPN hot takes like "unproven playoff success", not a "gamer changer". The whole fact that teams double and triple teamed him is the literal definition of a game changer.

Randle is going to want max money soon and with the way the cap is structured we can’t waste funds on him as a second option.

Who you giving it to? KAT? Joel? Siakam? Or are we back on the Zion train? The Knicks ain't giving him 50 per.

Randle is a guy who has the ability to put up great regular season numbers, but has proven that he isn't a difference maker when it comes to a team going from being a border line lottery team to being a playoff team. Patrick Ewing is a good example of someone who was a difference maker since he didn't have the best supporting cast, but managed to carry the Knicks into the playoffs every year.

You place a healthy Randle on the Pistons and they still wouldn't sniff the 11th seed. I am not knocking the guy or denying his contributions to the Knicks, but had Derrick Rose not turned back the clock a few years ago and had we not gotten lucky with Brunson we would be entering our 5th season of Randle and no playoffs.

The only way that I'll consider offering Randle a max contract or anything close to it is if he carries the Knicks past the other elite teams in the playoffs. Until he actually shows up in a 7 game series it would be ridiculous to entertain the possibility of overpaying him just to keep him here.

Let's not overlook the fact that he will be approaching his mid 30's by the time his new contract begins to kick in. Are you willing to max out a guy who will be past his prime after year 2 or 3 of his contract?

When it comes to your question on who will the Knicks give a max contract to if not to Randle, do we necessarily have to give out a max contract to another player for the sake of replacing Julius? I would rather the Knicks spend their money in a different way than dish out a massive contract to a player who isn't a top 5 superstar in the prime of his career.

[MrDollarBills]

I don't have any expectations on Randle playing, he may not have dislocated his shooting arm but his playstyle requires him to be physical and that right shoulder is going to take a lot of hits and could pop back out. Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder in 07, missed almost two months, came back for the playoffs and wasn't the same. He still needed to get surgery on the shoulder during the offseason, and Randle is much more physical and reliant on his physicality than Wade was.

If he decides to just get the surgery now I wouldn't even blame him.

Yeah I'm concerned as well. His style of play will be significantly altered by not being able to play physically inside. Expectations should be tempered.

Unless he comes back shooting hot fire from downtown, I'm not sure how much he can give the team, but i give him credit for wanting to give it a go.

[Fat Kat]

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[Fat Kat]

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[3toheadmelo]

there's a article about mitch talking about his injury and some of the stuff hes saying is sus about the medical staff..

Robinson injured his ankle during an early December game against the Boston Celtics. For a moment, he thought he would be fine. The New York Knicks center went through in-game testing with the medical team, who told him he was good to re-enter for the second half.

Unfortunately, he was not. Less than five minutes into the third quarter in Boston, Robinson exited the court. He underwent ankle surgery shortly after and has not played since.

“I’m like man, brah, I’m trying to figure out ways to stop it from happening the best ways that I can,” Robinson said, referencing his 2021 foot injury that required offseason surgery. “And it’s like one thing after one thing.”

Leading into Thursday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Robinson spoke with the traveling Knicks beat writers. It was the first time he’d gone on the record since the operation — and the timing was no coincidence.

The day before, Robinson returned to practice for the first time since the surgery. He participated in all drills, head coach Tom Thibodeau said. And now, the wonder is when he might come back, a concept that is a mystery even for Robinson.

“I asked (the doctors),” he said. “They just throw me curveballs.”

[thebuzzardman]

there's a article about mitch talking about his injury and some of the stuff hes saying is sus about the medical staff..

Robinson injured his ankle during an early December game against the Boston Celtics. For a moment, he thought he would be fine. The New York Knicks center went through in-game testing with the medical team, who told him he was good to re-enter for the second half.

Unfortunately, he was not. Less than five minutes into the third quarter in Boston, Robinson exited the court. He underwent ankle surgery shortly after and has not played since.

“I’m like man, brah, I’m trying to figure out ways to stop it from happening the best ways that I can,” Robinson said, referencing his 2021 foot injury that required offseason surgery. “And it’s like one thing after one thing.”

Leading into Thursday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Robinson spoke with the traveling Knicks beat writers. It was the first time he’d gone on the record since the operation — and the timing was no coincidence.

The day before, Robinson returned to practice for the first time since the surgery. He participated in all drills, head coach Tom Thibodeau said. And now, the wonder is when he might come back, a concept that is a mystery even for Robinson.

“I asked (the doctors),” he said. “They just throw me curveballs.”

He's done for the year too, like Randle and OG. I just wish the Knicks FO would stop the charade.

[Jalen Bluntson]

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Just get the surgery and call it a day. They wasted two months already.

[GONYK]

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Just get the surgery and call it a day. They wasted two months already.

Why?

There's no real benefit between surgery now and surgery in late April/May

[Wildcat]

Randle is a guy who has the ability to put up great regular season numbers, but has proven that he isn't a difference maker when it comes to a team going from being a border line lottery team to being a playoff team. Patrick Ewing is a good example of someone who was a difference maker since he didn't have the best supporting cast, but managed to carry the Knicks into the playoffs every year.

You place a healthy Randle on the Pistons and they still wouldn't sniff the 11th seed. I am not knocking the guy or denying his contributions to the Knicks, but had Derrick Rose not turned back the clock a few years ago and had we not gotten lucky with Brunson we would be entering our 5th season of Randle and no playoffs.

The only way that I'll consider offering Randle a max contract or anything close to it is if he carries the Knicks past the other elite teams in the playoffs. Until he actually shows up in a 7 game series it would be ridiculous to entertain the possibility of overpaying him just to keep him here.

Let's not overlook the fact that he will be approaching his mid 30's by the time his new contract begins to kick in. Are you willing to max out a guy who will be past his prime after year 2 or 3 of his contract?

When it comes to your question on who will the Knicks give a max contract to if not to Randle, do we necessarily have to give out a max contract to another player for the sake of replacing Julius? I would rather the Knicks spend their money in a different way than dish out a massive contract to a player who isn't a top 5 superstar in the prime of his career.

Oh, c'mon man, your counter argument can't possibly be a comparison between he and Ewing. Who was Kyrie carrying in Cleveland before LeBron came back? Who has Markkanen carried? What about Fox, Siakam, KP, and a host of other players. I'm not debating if Randle surrounded by scrubs can carry a team. Crucifying Randle for not being able to carry scrubs is so absurd to me. We're not in a league where a single player can carry a team anymore. You can't reasonably look at Randle's +/- of +219 before his injury this season and say you can slot in any other player to get the same results. The guy played 15 playoff games; 5 with scrubs, 10 with an ankle that ended up needing surgery. Context manners, my man.

And about context, we're looking at a radically different team if there was no Brunson here.

Brunson is a great #1. This year's Randle is quite a good #2.

I don't know what you would consider a max contract, or prime age, but he's not getting a max dollar contract. He'll likely get max years, but his salary is very likely similar increase to what he's making now. I see nothing in his game that tells me he's not going to average at least 20/8/4 in his mid-30's.

[Jalen Bluntson]

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Just get the surgery and call it a day. They wasted two months already.

Why?

There's no real benefit between surgery now and surgery in late April/May

Is there potential to make the injury worse if he plays again? If it makes no difference than I guess it's no big deal. What's the recovery time?

[Fat Kat]

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[stuporman]

How many more times do I have to say it before you guys realize the Knicks are not going to rush these guys back against the soft schedule. When the calendar turns to April then I'm looking for them to come back and you should, too...stop getting your tighties in a twist about it.

[Besart19]

Randle will come back in the 2nd round... and there is nothing wrong with it... we need to worry more about OG health

[stuporman]

Listening to Thibs comments over the days as he understandably keeps getting asked the same questions about health I've come to realize he's trolling a little bit. He knows what he knows, the plan the Knicks FO (and medical) have for the players coming back and he's trying not to tell anything to anybody.

So he's just saying things that are vague and ambiguous but technically accurate, it drives media and fans crazy since they are driving him crazy asking questions he cannot answer right now over and over. I don't think all the players will come back in one game, so it's only a matter of the sequence of them.

My intuition is telling me Mitch comes back first before the string of softer games end, then OG comes back with Randle coming in right after that. This is just my speculation but that's all it really is. I still don't get the impression they are inclined to rush players back if they are winning games, let the guys heal.

[Fat Kat]

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[HarthorneWingo]

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OG got the okay from medical too early.

[WaltFrazier]

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OG got the okay from medical too early.

Was he on the bench during game?

[HarthorneWingo]

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OG got the okay from medical too early.

Was he on the bench during game?

Didn't see him

[stuporman]

Thibs droppin hints Mitch about to play...someone with no sources but deductive reasoning mentioned he'd be the first to come back...hmmmm