Knicks Provide Tentative Timetable on Julius Randle Injury

The New York Knicks finally attached some numbers to Julius Randle's shoulder injury.

The New York Knicks announced on Thursday that power forward Julius Randle will miss at least the next two-to-three weeks, officially diagnosing him with a dislocated shoulder. Randle will be re-evaluated after that period to determine his status for the immediate hereafter. 

Randle, 29, was lost in the late stages of one of the Knicks' latest additions to an active eight-game winning streak, sustaining the injury on Saturday late afternoon against the Miami Heat. Seeing the durable Randle, who has famously eschewed the concept of load management, immediately flee to the Knicks locker room was a troubling sign for anyone involved with the team, especially considering his impact on metropolitan success over the past two seasons.

Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS

New York (31-17) has survived sans Randle, winning each of the first two without his services. Those wins, coming on Monday and Tuesday against Charlotte and Utah respectively, also came with OG Anunoby sidelined, as the paradigm-shifting arrival has missed the last couple with elbow inflammation and is considered day-to-day.

With Obi Toppin making his return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG), the Knicks get a swift reminder of their failure to bolster the depth behind Randle. In recent weeks, the team has partly relied on Anunoby's fellow Canadian import Precious Achiuwa while also forcing the backcourt-dwelling Josh Hart into the role from time-to-time. 

The Randle injury has perhaps forced the Knicks to adjust their trade deadline strategy: while no one potential import will make up for Randle's production (averaging 24 points and 9.2 rebounds), the team could look to improve in the post now that they have at least some idea of how long Randle will be out.

Grimes Added to Injury List With Anunoby

As for the lost time, the Knicks catch a little bit of a break with the NBA All-Star break coming up in two weeks. Eight games, starting with Thursday's visit from the Pacers, linger on the New York ledger before Feb. 22, the implied date of Randle's reevaluation.