The New York Knicks announced Saturday morning that All-Star forward Julius Randle underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. This surgery isn't surprising, given Randle suffered an ankle injury at the end of March that forced him to miss the last two weeks of the regular season. While Randle managed to suit up for the start of the postseason, he was playing through the ankle injury, and he missed Game 1 of the Knicks' second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat due to the same injury.
Fortunately, the Knicks said that he will be able to make a full recovery ahead of the 2023-24 season. The injury originally occurred in a March 29 game against the Miami Heat when Randle jumped for a rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Immanuel Quickley and landed on Bam Adebayo's foot. He rolled his ankle severely on the play, and after shooting free throws on the foul call he immediately limped back to the locker room. The Knicks then ruled him out for the last five games of the regular season.
After rehabbing to be ready for the start of the playoffs, that injury was aggravated in Game 4 of New York's first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Randle didn't play in the fourth quarter of the game, a move that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said at the time had to do with his sore left ankle. While Randle did play in New York's series-clinching win in Game 5, he sat out Game 1 against the Heat due to the injury.
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While he managed to play out the rest of the series, in which the Knicks lost to the Heat in six games, it was obvious that Randle was a bit limited and dealing with a nagging injury. This surgery will allow that injury to heal as he prepares for next season.
Randle is coming off a season in which he earned his second All-Star nod, while averaging a career-high 25.1 points, along with 10 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Randle was named to the All-NBA Third Team after a solid season leading the Knicks back to the playoffs alongside Jalen Brunson.
