Should Thibs Have Played Randle 37 Minutes A Night In the Playoffs?

New York announced Saturday afternoon that Julius Randle underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Friday.

In its statement, the team said the surgery was successful, and their power forward will resume basketball activities later this summer. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Randle is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the fall and "be fully recovered for the start of the 2023-24 season."

Randle initially injured his ankle on March 29th when he landed on Bam Adebayo's foot, forcing him to miss the final five games of the regular season. He returned for Game 1 of New York's first-round series vs. Cleveland but struggled vs. the Cavs before re-injuring the same ankle late in the second quarter of Game 5.

Randle sat out Game 1 of the Heat series before returning for Game 2, when he had the best all-around game of his postseason career, tallying 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a Knicks victory that tied the series at one game apiece. However, Randle shot 4-of-15 in Game 3 and committed four turnovers while handing out just two assists. He was 3-of-14 from the floor in New York's final game of the season, a four-point loss to the Heat in Miami.

While we don't know all the details (it's possible he tweaked the ankle in three weeks since the Knicks last played), it's obviously very safe to assume the ankle injury was a significant factor in Randle's struggles during the Knicks' playoff run. The burly power forward's rare combination of brute strength and quickness is vital to his offensive approach. And he was clearly limited physically. Consequently, once it was announced that he had undergone surgery, many fans were quick to credit Randle for playing through the injury in the postseason and not using it as an excuse during his interactions with the media. And, yes, that is praiseworthy. Say what you want about Randle, but he takes pride in showing up for work every day, which is relatively rare in today's NBA.

However, as I noted last month, there is no getting around the fact that Randle was putrid this past postseason. He is just the second player in NBA history to attempt more than 14 shots per game yet shoot below 38% from the floor, below 26% from downtown, and below 71% from the free-throw stripe over an entire postseason.

He became the first player ever to average more than 25 points per game in the regular season and less than 17 PPG in the playoffs (minimum ten games played).

The Knicks allowed their opponents to score 108 points per 100 possessions while he was on the court vs. Miami and Cleveland. That number dropped below 105 points when he was on the bench.

So, while he deserves props for wanting to return to action at far less than 100%, the question becomes: Should he have been allowed to play? And not only did Randle suit up, but he also logged more than 35 minutes in every game he appeared in during New York's second-round loss to the Heat, averaging 37.3 MPG.

In the one game Randle missed this postseason (Game 1 vs. Miami), Obi Toppin started at PF, scored 18 points (on 7-of-15 shooting), grabbed eight rebounds, and knocked down four three-pointers. Yes, New York lost that contest, but Obi was the only starter that didn't post a negative plus/minus. (Jalen Brunson, who was nursing a nagging ankle injury of his own, was -8 in that game.)

That's a question head coach Tom Thibodeau should have to answer. We'll have to wait another five months to hear Thibs' thoughts on the matter, as the Knicks haven't made anyone in the organization available to the media following the end of the season.

But looking back on the Knicks' surprisingly successful run, it's an issue that will stick in the craw of many a Knicks fan. With Randle clearly not effective, should the Knicks have either sat him for additional games or dramatically reduced his workload when he was active? It stings because the Knicks were remarkably close to advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would have taken on a stumbling Celtics squad.

As for how this postseason impacts Randle's future in New York, it's important to note that he also struggled in his only other playoff appearance in 2021. Taken as a whole, Randle has appeared in a total of 15 postseason contests. In those games, he has averaged 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks, while shooting a dreadful 34.4% from the field and 28.3% from downtown. He also has more turnovers (58) than assists (56).

Over the past four decades, 499 players have started at least 15+ playoff games and attempted more than 200 field goals in the playoffs. Of those 499, Julius Randle is the ONLY player to shoot below 35% from the floor and below 30% from three-point territory.

In addition, it wasn't just the offensive inefficiency and subpar defense that irked Knicks fans. Randle's lackluster effort and awful body language sometimes seemed to drag the team into a malaise. Standing at half court and throwing your arms up in the air after committing a terrible turnover is not due to a sore ankle. Randle's effort level was simply unacceptable in two of the biggest games the Knicks have played this century (Games 3 and 4 in Miami).

So, looking forward, I don't think the revelation that Randle's ankle injury was significant enough to require surgery dramatically changes the calculus on whether the Knicks should or should not consider trading him this summer.

As I detailed in May, there are still the same strong arguments to be made for and against New York parting with their leading scorer and All-NBA forward.