The New York Knicks' 2023-24 season was drastically impacted by injuries, and it's possible the start of 2024-25 is, too.
SNY's Ian Begley provided some offseason recovery updates on Wednesday for Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson, who are all recovering from surgeries.
While Brunson should be ready to go for training camp after breaking his hand in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, Randle and Robinson may still be getting back onto the floor.
Begley writes that Randle's recovery from shoulder surgery in April is going well and that he should be ready to go by opening night or "soon thereafter." While it's a positive update, it's still a tad surprising that Randle is basically questionable for opening night, which will be six months after getting surgery.
Furthermore, Robinson, who is recovering from season-ending ankle surgery he underwent in May, is not yet cleared for "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 just 16 games from December 8 to May 6. Begley writes that Robinson has several hurdles still to clear to fully participate in training camp.
It's worth wondering if both of these surgeries could cause the Knicks to get off to a slow start to the 2024-25 season.
If Randle is not ready to play opening night, then it means he'll be limited in training camp. Even if Randle is healthy enough to suit up for Game 2 of the season, he'll have some rust to shake off. Randle started the 2023-24 season very slowly and put up awful shooting numbers. He eventually admitted to reporters that he was still getting his rhythm back after ankle surgery that summer. This time, Randle will have been out of action even longer — his last NBA game came on January 27.
Robinson, meanwhile, is one of the key Knicks to a successful season. He has big shoes to fill after Isaiah Hartenstein's free agency departure.
Even when Robinson returned last season and played the end of the regular season and first round of the playoffs, he was not 100%. Robinson was, at times, hobbling up and down the court.
Like Randle, he may have an uphill battle to get his rhythm back, and it sounds as if he has even longer runway to become a full participant in training camp.
If Robinson cannot 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 working Mikal Bridges into the lineup. That should be an easier adjustment than almost any other high-level player because of Bridges' skill set and comfort with the "Nova Knicks," but it will be an adjustment, nonetheless.
Add all of this up, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Knicks have a rocky start to the season. However the Knicks play in the first two weeks won't determine how the rest of their season goes — recall that they started slowly in each of the past two seasons — but it will be important for fans not to hit the panic button if the team is, say, a game below .500 two weeks into the season.
