Julius Randle, while explaining the tough decision to undergo shoulder surgery before the playoffs, said his recovery is “ahead of schedule” and he will be available for the start of next season.
“I’m fine, brother. … I’m fine, I’m healthy,” Randle said on “7PM in Brooklyn” with hosts Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero. “I’m recovering well. It’s a process. It’s going to take a long time. We knew that. But I’m recovering ahead of schedule, I’m feeling good. I’m healthy. I’ll be ready when the season starts.”
Randle’s surgery took place in Los Angeles on April 9, just under two weeks before the Knicks’ first-round playoff game against the 76ers and more than two months after the power forward dislocated his shoulder.
No official recovery timeline has been announced, but six months is typical for this type of procedure, meaning Randle could be ready to play again in October, just a few weeks after the start of training camp.
The lengthy recovery period and its potential impact on next season was one of the reasons he gave up on trying to return without surgery.
The bigger reason is that Randle’s shoulder condition had not improved.
The 29-year-old previously said he suffered setbacks during full-contact training.
“I know my shoulder isn’t great, but I’ve been rehabbing it for two and a half months,” Randle said. “So it’s a question of playing and knowing that after the game is over I’m going to be out six or seven months. So I won’t be able to play until next year. And I’m not feeling great, so am I going to be able to contribute to the team? I can’t get rebounds. I can’t fall. I feel like if I fall it’ll dislocate my shoulder. So I’m just dealing with that.”
Jayme Jaquez Jr. (not pictured) slammed his arm into the ground during a game on Jan. 27. Robert Sabo, NY Post
Randle said he feels like he’s failed as the Knicks prepare for the playoffs.
“I’ve also dealt with feeling like I’m being selfish and like I’m letting the team down,” Randle said. “And it made me feel like I didn’t want to be there because I felt like I was getting in the way of them trying to get back. I feel like I was ostracized. I was like, I’ll just stay away, they’re doing great, I want to be there and support them as much as I can. So I had to get out of my ego and think, OK, once I made that decision, I’m going to deal with it and keep moving forward and support them as much as I can. But it’s been tough.”
The Knicks earned the No. 2 seed but lost to the Pacers in the second round, largely due to a string of injuries.
Randle is one of five Knicks players to have surgery during or after the season, joining Jalen Brunson (hand), O.G. Anunoby (elbow), Mitchell Robinson (ankle, twice) and Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle, wrist).
Randle is eligible for a contract extension this summer and recently expressed a desire to stay in New York long-term, joining Melo as just the second Knicks player after Patrick Ewing to earn three All-Star appearances.
