Incredible how quickly you can organize your thoughts and write something so eloquent. Always impressed.
I think I’m almost relieved. It’s been trending this way for a couple of weeks, and at least now we know. I’ve been internally eulogizing (and as some can tell through my tone, bracing myself) our potential of making a really deep run for a couple of months now, so today’s news doesn’t hit me so hard. I think that they will play their asses off and make us proud. I think vibes will be strong going into next year.
First of all, I want to say that I feel terribly for Randle. The guy gives it his all for the team every game, it is such a shame that this happened.
I also want to further something Lee said in his comment: I am always truly amazed how you are able to articulate yourself in the heat of the moment in such eloquent ways. I think I speak for many people when I say that your ability to calmly analyze situations and produce such excellent writing certainly helps ease emotions, feelings, and nerves.
Great write up. Given both of our legal backgrounds, care to join me as I research the constitutionality of banning Jaime Jaquez Jr. from all public accommodations in New York City?
Jon, as always, an amazing write-up and while I have ESPN and the NY Post open, yours is always my first stop.
I texted my brother as soon as Woj dropped the bomb that now "it's all on Anunoby and Deuce." And I firmly believe that. You indicated that Deuce's ceiling is the roof, and I think it might be higher than that, and the very cool thing is that he will get amazing playoff experience playing with what, I think we can now all accept, house money. I feel terrible for Randle (it's still the only jersey I own) as despite him taking a clobbering in this column (and, most times, rightfully so), the guy wants it as bad as Starks and Ewing and Mase and Oak did. And I cannot ever not respect that.
So what is a talented team with a top 5 MVP candidate, and a supporting cast that refuses to every stop playing? Add in an overlay of absolutety zero expectation now... and... my friends, that's a team nobody wants to play. That's our team. And, injuries be damned, that is serious danger for the rest of the league. Let's all enjoy what Leon, Worldwide Wes and the Thibs have built.
And to Julius - thanks for all the sacrifice, not only this season, but during the rehab to try to get back. I will never stop rooting for you. Sending good vibes for a successful surgery and recovery.
"The air is officially out of the balloon" is the perfect way to describe it. I felt so deflated seeing the Woj tweet. I had (perhaps foolishly) kept holding out hope that Julius could come back. I appreciate that he even tried to return and my love and appreciation for him has only grown.
I feel absolutely horrible for him. He saw what we all saw in January. I don't blame him for wanting to come back this year. But if there's a risk of permanently damaging the shoulder... it's not worth it. Come back stronger next year, Ju!
And I agree we can still make some noise if OG gets back. We admittedly didn't play a murderer's row of opponents when he played in March, but the team still looked good.
Best team they've had in decades and a guy previously known as an "iron man" sustains a season ending injury on a charge late in a game where they're up by three touchdowns.
My first comment is, how the heck do you get an email like this out so fast? And with no typos or grammatical mistakes (that I can tell and I am hardly an expert). Who does your proof-reading?
I suppose this is surprise. I just hope they let him rehab this long knowing that if they hit a special date (that date that ensures he will be in training camp), they would shelve him. Mostly, like Jonathan said, I feel for Julius. The Knicks finally had a good team. He was finally playing with a superstar. The fans in NY seem to love him. So I am sure today is a rough day for the Randle family.
Soon we will find out if OG will follow the same path and get shelved for the season. He must play at least 3-4 games before the playoffs (or whatever you call the 7th and 8th seed) to try and stay in the top six, for the playoffs to have any meaning. If he can play without further injuring his elbow, I hope he gets out there.
I was at the Miami game where Julius was injured and can still remember leaving with a numb dread of what it meant for the season. That it came during a game where the Knicks dominated and on the heels of them blowing out the Nuggets made it all the more cruel. I have no doubt the group they have will play hard and give anyone a rough time in the playoffs, but unfortunately the ceiling is much lower now. I just fear the defensive pressure Brunson will face will just be too much, even if OG returns.
I feel terrible for Julius and while he has often frustrated me as a player, I’m really hoping he hasn’t played his last game as a Knick. He deserves to be part of big things here.
Great article Jon, as always. (BTW, you’d hear more from me is I could Super Chat from St. Thomas, but doesn’t seem to let me do it,). Re Randle agree totally on how sad it is for him, having worked so hard to make this a special year. And that for me is the real tragedy for us as NYK fans: that chance for a really special season this year is gone. Back in January I let myself hope because I finally saw a ream that could make the Finals (not just the ECF). Even falling short would have been thrilling. Now, whole I’ll hope for the best it is pretty clear that this season. Won’t be THAT season. Sadly, it is much more likely to be another “could have been” , “might have been” season. We could be seeing Brunson’s career season wasted, ditto for the incredible performances from Hart, Hartenstein, and Divincenzo”. One thing I’ve learned as a lifelong fan - you can never count on having another “career year”. Pretty sad.
Great to hear from you Richard! One thing: I don't think we've seen Brunson's best. Just my humble opinion, but I believe he continues to improve from here.
Knowing is better than the uncertainty we were living in but it still hurts. This team deserves a Nobel prize for effort despite the terrible luck that has plagued it this season. Now the real question is OG, because the man has a pretty bad record with health, he's been outstanding when he played but can we build a serious contender with him? I think so but I'm wavering...
This will likely go down in similar vein to the 2012 "What-if" we got a shot at the Heat. January was so fun. The way stars are dropping right now, anything can happen in the playoffs.
Damn. This sucks but also it is getting so close to the playoffs for both Julius and OG that it kind of feels like a long-shot even if they did come back that we would be able to gel and be the team we were in January. I personally think without at least one of those guys we likely won't make it out of the first round in a seven game series. Defense will come down hard on Brunson.
I have pretty much moved on after the IQ/Barrett trade, but I feel for you guys. Everything seemed on an incredible upswing and then these injuries. Knicks have played with amazing passion after the injuries but you do need to have the talent to compete.
As one of the former of doctors for many NBA players, including the Miami Heat, I stated early on to John and his followers that the shoulder is much more complicated joint then the knee because of the shoulder capsule. I stated earlier that surgery was inevitable. Dwyane Wade played, after dislocating his shoulder, and after the season had surgery. The difference is wayde was not a power Forward. Randal would have to play with his arms over his head and people pulling the ball away from him. As result, a secondary subluxation was inevitable. If he did not have one recently in practice. The procedure he will probably get will be called a capsular shift. The best orthopedic surgeon for this in the country is James Andrews. With that said rehab could take longer than five months the purpose I write this is why did they wait? They know the complications of a dislocated shoulder. They know that the complications of power forward having dislocated shoulder, they know the potential of recurrence. They wasted months and I blame a lot of their medical staff but the media for not questioning this. It appears that most of media are nothing more than hopeful fans. With that said OG now probably wont play as if he
A. Re-injured his shoulder it would affect his free agency contract.
B. He is a player that cannot carry a team, and come back and not play well, that will also affect his contract. He is thinking of next year and his big contract.
Am my opinion the Nick should walk away from OG, if they can, they should sign Siakam, and look to add depth at power forward, Randal might take Six months to a year to come back to form. But also makes the trade to OG so bad not only did he not play, but we gave away two young trade chips which we could’ve used to get Donovan Mitchell. The Knicks would’ve been better off this year without the OG trade. If you look at his wins with the Knicks, most of them with Randal on the court. He’s a secondary forward he fed off Siakam, and then Randal he cannot carry it on his own. The Nick needs somebody other than Brunson, that can carry it on their own.
Probably not a fair question for you Doc, but why do you think the Knicks waited so long to make this decision. From your write-up, it sounds like not only was surgery inevitable but based on Randle's brute style, he could not come back without the surgery and endanger his shoulder further.
Isn't it obvious that JR made that call desperately wanting to help his team any way he could? I mean Willis Reed is a hard legend to ignore and the Wade situation is a perfect example of the way an alpha competitor would do that. It got the Heat all the way to the Finals and shocked the world and Wade turned out fine. Randle didn't need to bang in the paint for rebounds to make him very valuable especially with Big Mitch and OG back, if that happens.
One thing I disagree about is, if we get a healthy OG back soon, that a first round loss would be acceptable. No way this team should be losing in the first round if Mitch and OG are close to 100% with a few games under their belts....unless they fall to the Celtics matchup. Not sure if that's even likely yet. The real knockout blow for me would be OG not being ready for 36 mpg come winning time. That would be like two left hooks from a peak Mike Tyson. One to liver (Randle) and one to the head (OG). At that point it will be lights out. It all really does hang on a healthy OG right now. and always did IMO, more so than JR.
This is fair. I guess I'd just have a tough time holding it against them, even if, logically, that version of the team "should" win. You never know the toll that the last 2 months have taken on them. I can't even imagine the mental toughness that will be required to win a series knowing they don't have their horse.
Agreed but with DDV and Deuce stepping up on O the real horse may turn out to be OG. Will be fascinating to watch it unfold if he makes it back in time.
Incredible how quickly you can organize your thoughts and write something so eloquent. Always impressed.
I think I’m almost relieved. It’s been trending this way for a couple of weeks, and at least now we know. I’ve been internally eulogizing (and as some can tell through my tone, bracing myself) our potential of making a really deep run for a couple of months now, so today’s news doesn’t hit me so hard. I think that they will play their asses off and make us proud. I think vibes will be strong going into next year.
I feel awful for Randle.
First of all, I want to say that I feel terribly for Randle. The guy gives it his all for the team every game, it is such a shame that this happened.
I also want to further something Lee said in his comment: I am always truly amazed how you are able to articulate yourself in the heat of the moment in such eloquent ways. I think I speak for many people when I say that your ability to calmly analyze situations and produce such excellent writing certainly helps ease emotions, feelings, and nerves.
Thanks so much Jonas...I don't think I ever properly convey how much I appreciate comments like this, but please trust that I do a great deal.
well said. i'd only add a hearty "fuck miami and fuck heat culture".
Great write up. Given both of our legal backgrounds, care to join me as I research the constitutionality of banning Jaime Jaquez Jr. from all public accommodations in New York City?
FUCK YES. To hell with that dude.
Jon, as always, an amazing write-up and while I have ESPN and the NY Post open, yours is always my first stop.
I texted my brother as soon as Woj dropped the bomb that now "it's all on Anunoby and Deuce." And I firmly believe that. You indicated that Deuce's ceiling is the roof, and I think it might be higher than that, and the very cool thing is that he will get amazing playoff experience playing with what, I think we can now all accept, house money. I feel terrible for Randle (it's still the only jersey I own) as despite him taking a clobbering in this column (and, most times, rightfully so), the guy wants it as bad as Starks and Ewing and Mase and Oak did. And I cannot ever not respect that.
So what is a talented team with a top 5 MVP candidate, and a supporting cast that refuses to every stop playing? Add in an overlay of absolutety zero expectation now... and... my friends, that's a team nobody wants to play. That's our team. And, injuries be damned, that is serious danger for the rest of the league. Let's all enjoy what Leon, Worldwide Wes and the Thibs have built.
And to Julius - thanks for all the sacrifice, not only this season, but during the rehab to try to get back. I will never stop rooting for you. Sending good vibes for a successful surgery and recovery.
Really well said Brian. They are, without question, still a dangerous team.
And thank you for the kind words!
"The air is officially out of the balloon" is the perfect way to describe it. I felt so deflated seeing the Woj tweet. I had (perhaps foolishly) kept holding out hope that Julius could come back. I appreciate that he even tried to return and my love and appreciation for him has only grown.
I feel absolutely horrible for him. He saw what we all saw in January. I don't blame him for wanting to come back this year. But if there's a risk of permanently damaging the shoulder... it's not worth it. Come back stronger next year, Ju!
And I agree we can still make some noise if OG gets back. We admittedly didn't play a murderer's row of opponents when he played in March, but the team still looked good.
Best team they've had in decades and a guy previously known as an "iron man" sustains a season ending injury on a charge late in a game where they're up by three touchdowns.
Of course.
My first comment is, how the heck do you get an email like this out so fast? And with no typos or grammatical mistakes (that I can tell and I am hardly an expert). Who does your proof-reading?
I suppose this is surprise. I just hope they let him rehab this long knowing that if they hit a special date (that date that ensures he will be in training camp), they would shelve him. Mostly, like Jonathan said, I feel for Julius. The Knicks finally had a good team. He was finally playing with a superstar. The fans in NY seem to love him. So I am sure today is a rough day for the Randle family.
Soon we will find out if OG will follow the same path and get shelved for the season. He must play at least 3-4 games before the playoffs (or whatever you call the 7th and 8th seed) to try and stay in the top six, for the playoffs to have any meaning. If he can play without further injuring his elbow, I hope he gets out there.
Thanks so much DBN. I could probably use a proofreader, but as of now, the old "once over" will have to do. And I agree on your sentiments as well.
I was at the Miami game where Julius was injured and can still remember leaving with a numb dread of what it meant for the season. That it came during a game where the Knicks dominated and on the heels of them blowing out the Nuggets made it all the more cruel. I have no doubt the group they have will play hard and give anyone a rough time in the playoffs, but unfortunately the ceiling is much lower now. I just fear the defensive pressure Brunson will face will just be too much, even if OG returns.
I feel terrible for Julius and while he has often frustrated me as a player, I’m really hoping he hasn’t played his last game as a Knick. He deserves to be part of big things here.
Great article Jon, as always. (BTW, you’d hear more from me is I could Super Chat from St. Thomas, but doesn’t seem to let me do it,). Re Randle agree totally on how sad it is for him, having worked so hard to make this a special year. And that for me is the real tragedy for us as NYK fans: that chance for a really special season this year is gone. Back in January I let myself hope because I finally saw a ream that could make the Finals (not just the ECF). Even falling short would have been thrilling. Now, whole I’ll hope for the best it is pretty clear that this season. Won’t be THAT season. Sadly, it is much more likely to be another “could have been” , “might have been” season. We could be seeing Brunson’s career season wasted, ditto for the incredible performances from Hart, Hartenstein, and Divincenzo”. One thing I’ve learned as a lifelong fan - you can never count on having another “career year”. Pretty sad.
Great to hear from you Richard! One thing: I don't think we've seen Brunson's best. Just my humble opinion, but I believe he continues to improve from here.
Knowing is better than the uncertainty we were living in but it still hurts. This team deserves a Nobel prize for effort despite the terrible luck that has plagued it this season. Now the real question is OG, because the man has a pretty bad record with health, he's been outstanding when he played but can we build a serious contender with him? I think so but I'm wavering...
This will likely go down in similar vein to the 2012 "What-if" we got a shot at the Heat. January was so fun. The way stars are dropping right now, anything can happen in the playoffs.
Damn. This sucks but also it is getting so close to the playoffs for both Julius and OG that it kind of feels like a long-shot even if they did come back that we would be able to gel and be the team we were in January. I personally think without at least one of those guys we likely won't make it out of the first round in a seven game series. Defense will come down hard on Brunson.
I have pretty much moved on after the IQ/Barrett trade, but I feel for you guys. Everything seemed on an incredible upswing and then these injuries. Knicks have played with amazing passion after the injuries but you do need to have the talent to compete.
Sorry to hear this…
As one of the former of doctors for many NBA players, including the Miami Heat, I stated early on to John and his followers that the shoulder is much more complicated joint then the knee because of the shoulder capsule. I stated earlier that surgery was inevitable. Dwyane Wade played, after dislocating his shoulder, and after the season had surgery. The difference is wayde was not a power Forward. Randal would have to play with his arms over his head and people pulling the ball away from him. As result, a secondary subluxation was inevitable. If he did not have one recently in practice. The procedure he will probably get will be called a capsular shift. The best orthopedic surgeon for this in the country is James Andrews. With that said rehab could take longer than five months the purpose I write this is why did they wait? They know the complications of a dislocated shoulder. They know that the complications of power forward having dislocated shoulder, they know the potential of recurrence. They wasted months and I blame a lot of their medical staff but the media for not questioning this. It appears that most of media are nothing more than hopeful fans. With that said OG now probably wont play as if he
A. Re-injured his shoulder it would affect his free agency contract.
B. He is a player that cannot carry a team, and come back and not play well, that will also affect his contract. He is thinking of next year and his big contract.
Am my opinion the Nick should walk away from OG, if they can, they should sign Siakam, and look to add depth at power forward, Randal might take Six months to a year to come back to form. But also makes the trade to OG so bad not only did he not play, but we gave away two young trade chips which we could’ve used to get Donovan Mitchell. The Knicks would’ve been better off this year without the OG trade. If you look at his wins with the Knicks, most of them with Randal on the court. He’s a secondary forward he fed off Siakam, and then Randal he cannot carry it on his own. The Nick needs somebody other than Brunson, that can carry it on their own.
Probably not a fair question for you Doc, but why do you think the Knicks waited so long to make this decision. From your write-up, it sounds like not only was surgery inevitable but based on Randle's brute style, he could not come back without the surgery and endanger his shoulder further.
Isn't it obvious that JR made that call desperately wanting to help his team any way he could? I mean Willis Reed is a hard legend to ignore and the Wade situation is a perfect example of the way an alpha competitor would do that. It got the Heat all the way to the Finals and shocked the world and Wade turned out fine. Randle didn't need to bang in the paint for rebounds to make him very valuable especially with Big Mitch and OG back, if that happens.
One thing I disagree about is, if we get a healthy OG back soon, that a first round loss would be acceptable. No way this team should be losing in the first round if Mitch and OG are close to 100% with a few games under their belts....unless they fall to the Celtics matchup. Not sure if that's even likely yet. The real knockout blow for me would be OG not being ready for 36 mpg come winning time. That would be like two left hooks from a peak Mike Tyson. One to liver (Randle) and one to the head (OG). At that point it will be lights out. It all really does hang on a healthy OG right now. and always did IMO, more so than JR.
This is fair. I guess I'd just have a tough time holding it against them, even if, logically, that version of the team "should" win. You never know the toll that the last 2 months have taken on them. I can't even imagine the mental toughness that will be required to win a series knowing they don't have their horse.
Agreed but with DDV and Deuce stepping up on O the real horse may turn out to be OG. Will be fascinating to watch it unfold if he makes it back in time.