N.B.A
Published January 28, 2024, 11:37 p.m. ET
The Knicks have gone from hype to horror; from crossovers to crossed fingers.
Julius Randle will miss his first game of the season on Monday in Charlotte after dislocating his right shoulder on Saturday, but there was no further information on Randle's condition on Sunday.
Initial X-rays a day earlier showed the dislocation and Randle was scheduled to undergo an MRI scan on Saturday evening.
The results are not yet publicly known, but coach Tom Thibodeau admitted after the win over the Heat that he was “very” concerned.
The biggest scare of the team's season – coming at a time when the Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season – threatens to dash the hopes of a team that has won 12 of 14 since OG Anunoby's arrival.
According to some orthopedic surgeons who have not examined Randle, the best-case scenario for Randle would be a two- or three-week absence and the worst-case scenario would be surgery that would likely end his season.
Julius Randle injured his shoulder. Knicks' victory over the Heat on January 27, 2024. Getty Images
Dr. Dennis DeBernardis, who specializes in shoulder and elbow surgery at the Rothman Orthopedic Institute in Manhattan and Jersey City, said the X-rays showed whether the ball was not yet lodged in his socket and could indicate whether there was bone damage.
The MRI would have provided a closer look at the bone and shown the severity of the damage to the labrum, which is the soft tissue that surrounds the socket.
Dislocations almost always result in damage to the labrum.
If only a small portion of the labrum is damaged, treating the injury without surgery would be an option to expedite Randle's return.
“Let’s say they don’t recommend surgery,” DeBernardis said by phone. “Then he can play again as soon as he has full mobility and strength and is no longer in pain. These are the main criteria.
“Once you've done that, you can play again. … Generally, this can take up to two to three weeks. This can take up to six to eight weeks. Depends on how quickly he progresses.”
Dr. Clint Soppe, whose specialties include sports medicine and shoulder injuries at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and who serves as an orthopedic consultant for the LA Galaxy, pointed to Dwyane Wade's 2006-07 season.
The then-Heat star dislocated his left shoulder on February 21, 2007, but opted to rehabilitate his shoulder and postponed surgery until after the campaign.
He missed 23 games over 6¹/₂ weeks but made a successful return and underwent surgery after a playoff run.
In this best-case scenario of no surgery for Randle, there would be concerns.
Once a first dislocation occurs, the likelihood of dislocation again is greater. Randle — about as physical a player as the NBA has — could be putting himself in danger.
“If you damage that soft tissue, you risk dislocating it again,” DeBernardis said. “Especially when you’re as young as him; If you play an aggressive overhead sport, we can consider basketball an overhead sport because it shoots from that position.”
Julius Randle injured his shoulder. Knicks' victory over the Heat on January 27, 2024. Getty Images
Doctors may recommend surgery to repair soft tissue damage.
Such a decision would mean Randle would miss several months and possibly the rest of the season.
A “really quick recovery” from surgery, DeBernardis said, would take less than three months, but that would be unusual.
A timeline of four to six months would be more likely, says Soppe.
The regular season still lasts about 2¹/₂ months.
There is a slight glimmer of hope that Randle, a left-handed hitter, has dislocated his right shoulder, but he still needs full movement in both arms.
“I think it's probably a little bit better [than the left shoulder]said Soppe. “But it’s still basketball. You go for rebounds.”
Another bright spot: “It’s very rare” that labral surgery would mean career-ending, DeBernardis said. The vast majority of players are able to get back on their feet.
But not immediately.
Randle went down with 4 ¹/₂ minutes left in a game in which the Knicks led by 17.
The beefy forward pushed his way to the basket as Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr. attempted to make a charge.
Randle went up and then tried to break his fall by extending his right palm as he descended.
The rest of his 250-pound body forced his right arm outward, dislocating his shoulder.
Randle — “a warrior,” as Thibodeau said — didn’t fight to stay in the game, but immediately stalked to the locker room.
In an era of load management, Randle had performed well in every game this season despite arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in early June that clearly bothered him early in the season.
He played in all but the final five games of last season, during which he took a brief breather to rest his ankle and prepare for the playoffs.
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