Julius Randle will be “ready to go” in training camp after undergoing offseason ankle surgery, head coach Tom Thibodeau told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
Randle had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in early June. Randle was nagged by an ankle ailment late in the regular season and the postseason.
“Just steady progress. He’s had a very good offseason,” Thibodeau said of Randle. “He’ll be fresh and ready to go.”
Thibodeau touched on several other topics in the interview with Aschburner:
- Thibodeau is glad that Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup and hopes that experience will help them during the upcoming Knicks season: “I think it’s great for younger guys when you look at the history with the Olympics, the World Cup and Team USA. When Derrick Rose came back, that year he won the MVP. He was 22 years old. The fact that it’s a different style, I like that too, because you’re adapting. You can learn from playing that way and playing against international players. It allows you to hit the ground running in training camp, too.”
- The veteran head coach gives the front office high marks for targeting Donte DiVincenzo in free agency. The Knicks signed him to a four-year deal. “Adding Donte is great for us. He’s a great team guy and he’ll fit in seamlessly.”
- Thibodeau believes he’s a much different coach than he was in Chicago at the start of his head coaching career during the 2010/11 season: “In the ‘90s, a wing pick-and-roll was played basically one way. Now there’s spacing, there are slips and go-screens. You have to adapt to how the game is changing. And defensively, you understand what’s hard to guard, so you implement that into your offense.”
But is Thibs that much different than his tenure in Minny? QQ for all out there: if Thibs has another year of no higher than the second round, does he stick or not, and if not, who is in line of sight?
There’s plenty of coaching talent going around…
Thibs hasn’t really done a lot worthy of note since Chicago…
Sure the Wolves had some success but the way the Butler situation was handled shows Thibs is more on the assistant level than at the head coach level…
I think if they make it to the second round, he stays. Anything less than that I think he’s gone. As far as who replaces him if he goes, that depends on how much input Dolan is having. I would hope that they would hire a young, smart coach but if Dolan has a heavy hand in the choice, it’ll be an expensive, splashy move that ultimately won’t work out.
Still a play in team and 1st round exit.
Except they made the 2nd round last year bud.
No doubt there are better coaches out there, but Thibs has done a better job than I expected when he was hired.
I still stand by my prediction,Gregory
@padam – Do you really think getting to the Conference Finals is a reasonable expectation for the NYK this season? Over the past 20 years, how many teams have gone to a Conference Finals without a superstar? I can only think of one (ATL in the pandemic year, and that had no staying power).
What did Thibs do in MIN other than take them from a perennial doormat to a 45 win team in two years? He got them a real superstar (Butler) too. The owner threw it away. Though he eventually got Edwards out of it.
My answer would be no, but let me challenge you then. If we know the team that has been put together isn’t of championship caliber, and a superstar isn’t on the horizon, do you blow the team up after just acquiring more Thibs like players? Or do we just settle for second round exists?
I don’t know why those are my only two choices, but, in short, I’d never accept 2nd round exists as permanent, but I’ll pick the course of action that gives the team the best chance to become championship caliber as soon and as certain as possible. Whether that’s 1) retaining the group that’s gotten us to the early playoff exit level and building from there, or 2) blowing it up and building from scratch upon the ashes.
You may be assuming that #2 must be the choice, but that assumption has no historical support. Nobody has ever blown up a team and built a champion on its ashes. On the other hand, most championship teams had predecessors with the same or similar core that had multiple early playoff exits before getting to the championship level. Including the current champions. It also includes TOR, which seemed locked as an early playoff exit team, with an aging core, and no superstar. They imported their single superstar, which required the good fortune of his availability, but you’re always going to need a bunch of good fortune to get a trophy.
I’m not categorically opposed to tanking. I would have had no issue blowing up the team Rose & Co. inherited. They already had a losing culture. This team has a better path, and will for awhile, regardless of their playoff performance this year.
It’s a one way conversation …. here
Year 4 coming “In Thibs we Trust”.
Playoff team that just got better with DiV. Thinking about a coach. While they are gearing up for a major trade. Yeah ok
Ok, first things first! Knick haters and trolls leave the building. You’re sorry franchises and are all bandeagoners.
Next my predictions:
Obi will have a great year and be a reserve in the all star game averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds per game and win most improved player.
Next Randle will reinjure himself, play less than 55 games and average 16 pts and 8 rebounds and four assists. Rj Barrett will average twenty plus points per game but be snubbed Ana’s won’t maketvhe all star roster. The Knicks WILL make it to the conference finals with Randle having a better post season and not choking. They have the assets to make a major trade during the season and Embiid will become available. There is a strong possibility that the Knicks will acquire another player in the likes of zHarden or Lilliard to go with Embiied but the trades will deplete the roster and possibly lose RJ Barrett which would be a crime. The final roster I predict for the 2024/25 season will include:
Embiid
Randle
Hart
Brunson
Lilliard or Harden
Devinchrcho
Gone will be rj, Quickley, all of our first round picks, Grimes etc.