Julius Randle will miss his first game of the season tonight after being diagnosed with a separated shoulder. Reports are coming out that he will miss weeks, not months.
Against the Miami Heat on Saturday, Randle was injured while going up for a layup when he collided with Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and landed on his right side with 4:27 remaining.
For a team that has won six straight games, this was a blow. There is no word yet on how long Randle will be out, and according to an ESPN report, X-Rays “didn’t show much damage.” But on a team that has been playing so well of late, no disruption was needed.
Now that the Iron Man, who never misses any time and always plays through pain, will miss time, what will the Knicks do?
The Knicks are battling with the Philadelphia 76ers for third in the Eastern Conference, so they can’t avoid any setbacks. Here are the obvious options for the Knicks to fill in for Randle and keep things humming until he gets back.
Julius Randle’s 2023-24 stats
| Points | Rebounds | FG% |
| 24.0 | 9.2 | 47.2% |
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OG Anunoby should take Julius Randle’s spot for the New York Knicks
Anunoby, who has been the key to the Knicks’ defense being the best in the league in January, will be asked to do more in Randle’s absence.
He is averaging 15.6 points and 4.6 rebounding and shooting 52% since coming to New York. He’s only averaged more points than that in two full seasons.
Anunoby will likely move to Randle’s position and will need to keep up the defensive intensity, but will need to bump up his scoring with Randle out.
OG Anunoby’s 2023-24 stats
| Points | Rebounds | FG% |
| 15.3 | 4.2 | 51.6% |
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New York Knicks likely start Josh Hart with Julius Randle out
Hart is already a solid rotation player for the Knicks and he has played 26 minutes or more in the past five games. When Randle was injured against the Heat on Saturday, Hart ended up playing 32 minutes.
Hart will likely start at the two spot, with Anunoby moving over to Randle’s position.
With the extra minutes, Hart could have a double-double, as his rebounding numbers have hovered around 10 in the past five games and he will get more scoring opportunities.
Josh Hart’s 2023-24 stats
| Points | Rebounds | FG% |
| 7.3 | 6.5 | 44.2% |