The New York Knicks sailed into the playoffs last year but that isn’t happening this season.
Right now, the Knicks are tied for 11th in the East with a record of 30-41.
They are five games behind the Atlanta Hawks and will definitely be in the NBA Play-In Tournament if they are lucky.
And just when they need him most, the team is losing its star player, Julius Randle.
Randle will be sitting out of Tuesday’s game against the aforementioned Hawks because of a sore right quadriceps tendon.
This injury has got some people thinking.
I wonder several things:
1) if this is the injury Thibs has referenced at various times throughout the season.
2) if he could play through it just the same but NYK has finally accepted its fate
3) if everyone in the org recognizes that everyone benefits if he chills for a bit https://t.co/S4zvd4CSx5
— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) March 22, 2022
On Twitter, Rit Holtzman wondered if the injury is one that’s been around for a while and if maybe he could have played through it but the Knicks decided to let him sit.
Perhaps most importantly, Holtzman pondered if Randle is sitting out because it is now recognized that he should ease up and relax a bit.
Is this the end of the season for the Knicks?
Can They Come Back?
There have been quite a few teams in the NBA who have had bad seasons this year.
But few are more disappointing than the Knicks.
That’s because last season everything seemed so good for the first time in a long time.
They ended the year in the fourth spot in the East and this year they probably won’t even make the playoffs.
Is the benching of Randle a sign that the team knows their season is all but done?
Are they letting Randle rest because they know that even if he plays the fate of the team can’t be changed at this point?
Randle deserves the time off but you have to wonder if this just put the last nail in the Knicks’ coffin.
NEXT: Julius Randle Proves He Can Still Take Over A Game