Last year Knicks did not suffer from an injury but rather from the plague. After losing Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle And OG Anunoby For most of the season after the trade deadline, Randle was re-injured trying to come back for the playoffs while the rest of the team’s core pieces fell one after another.

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 He fractured his left hand in the Game 7 loss. Unfortunately, that cascade of injuries appears to be impacting this new season before it even begins.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, it would be “surprising” if Randle were ready to play by the start of training camp, with his return likely slated for opening night or even the games after. Additionally, as of two weeks ago, Robinson was still rehabbing and had to “jump through a lot of hoops” to be ready for training camp.

While the news about Randle may be alarming to some fans, it does give an idea of ​​what to expect. While many players have returned to action within months of their initial injury, Randle re-injured his shoulder while trying to return for the playoffs and required surgery.

In these cases, the normal recovery time can be anywhere from 4 to 6 months. Randle’s surgery took place in April, making the October opening night the sixth month of recovery.

Randle’s play is particularly taxing on his shoulder, so the Knicks may want to play it safe with their newfound title aspirations. There haven’t been many similar cases in recent NBA history, but Kevin LoveA similar injury and surgery in April 2015 allowed him to return in time to start the following season.

Robinson’s outlook is understandably dimmer. Stress injuries that require surgery can typically keep players off the field for six months, or longer if complications arise.

This is the same ankle that had surgery in December for a stress fracture that kept Robinson sidelined for four months. A re-injury to that ankle should, at a minimum, mean a more cautious recovery for Robinson this time around, meaning the Knicks could very well start the season without their starting center.

They could also have long-term concerns. Robinson has as many 30-game seasons as 60-game seasons since 2020; multiple lower-body injuries and surgeries on a big man could make that situation scarily worse.

The only positives were that Brunson seemed to be on track and Anunoby was not mentioned. Brunson’s injury occurred in May, and while standard timelines differ based on several unknown factors, the three-plus months between his injury and training camp should be enough time for him to be fully healthy for the new season.

Anunoby’s hamstring injury should be behind him. More serious injuries can take a few months to heal, but considering he gave the Knicks a couple of baskets in Game 7, it was probably more minor and should be healed.

With the possibility of starting the new campaign without their starting front line, how can the Knicks adapt to a difficult opening schedule?

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden.New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden.

If Randle is only out for a short period of time, they will likely move Anunoby up one position and start him either Donte DiVincenzo Or Josh Hart. While they’ll miss Randle’s creation and overall impact, we’ve seen New York win longer stretches with fewer weapons around Brunson before.

His recovery gives guys like Anunoby and the newcomer Mikal Bridges a chance to shine offensively, and those reps could help set them up for the rest of the season. Both have had standout performances and puzzling absences when faced with bigger offensive responsibilities, so the Knicks will need one of them to do better than the first.

The center position presents the biggest adjustment, with less reliable backup options and potentially longer wait times for reinforcements. Precious Achiuwa appears to be next in line for the top five and had some big moments playing the position last season.

He could come out and give the Knicks 35+ solid minutes there. His mobility and versatility will help against Boston and he’s no slouch in the battles on the boards, but if he falls short, the Knicks can turn to more creative options.

Outside of a Jericho Sims To address that issue, New York may have to turn to one of its forwards to play the fifth position. That could be Randle once he’s healthy, or Anunoby once he’s gone.

The latter had a few minutes of play in this position last season, even holding his own defense. Joel Embiid. A lineup with him in the middle and three other guys who can shoot, dribble, pass and defend around Brunson could wreak havoc.

Randle-at-the-five setups are based on the same principle, but with added strength and star power. Being able to experiment with these looks early in the season could be the silver lining to the Knicks’ injury woes.

Of course, the ideal would be for all of these players to return to full fitness as soon as possible. Knicks fans had more than enough injuries to deal with last season, and the team is ready to prove that they are a title contender once they are out of the running.

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