Knicks' OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle inch closer to returning
OG Anunoby of the Knicks hits a three-point shot in the first half against the Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 9. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH — The fact that the Knicks desperately need lineup reinforcements is not exactly a state secret.
It appears likely that they will get two of their four injured starters back relatively soon and that the other two are progressing.
Coach Tom Thibodeau said OG Anunoby has been scrimmaging with the team — including “taking contact”— and that Jalen Brunson participated in practice Thursday at the MSG Training Center.
Thibodeau also said Mitchell Robinson has been cleared to run and jump and that Julius Randle is doing light contact drills.
Brunson, who suffered a left knee contusion in the first minute of Sunday’s 107-98 win over the Cavaliers in Cleveland, is questionable for the Knicks’ game against the Magic on Friday night at the Garden.
As one might suspect, the possibility that four-fifths of the starting lineup could return in time for the playoffs was greeted positively by the Knicks.
“I’ll just be excited to have our team back,” Josh Hart said. “I don’t think we’ve had our whole team — I mean, technically if you add Mitch in there, we haven’t had our whole team one game this season in terms of what we have now or what we’ll end the season with.
“So just excited to get those guys back, hopefully with time to really jell and get accustomed to each other’s games and everything so we can finish the season off right and go into the playoffs feeling good.”
What’s unknown is exactly when the entire foursome could return to the lineup. Thibodeau declined to provide a specific timetable even for Anunoby.
“He’s doing well overall,” Thibodeau said. “It’s day-to-day, we’ll see where he is. He’s making good progress. But he’s got to be cleared first to fully play.”
Anunoby, who had surgery to remove a loose bone fragment in his right elbow, has not played since the Knicks’ 125-109 win over the Heat on Jan. 27. Brunson sat out Tuesday’s 116-100 loss to the Hawks.
“Practice is a lot of starting and stopping, so it’s kind of hard to judge sometimes, but [he] looked good, looked confident and not like he was limping or dragging his leg or nervous to make movements. So that’s obviously a positive,” Hart said of Brunson. “With him, hopefully tomorrow [he’ll wake] up ready for shootaround — not much soreness — and hopefully ready to go.”
Robinson has been out since mid-December after surgery on his left ankle. Randle has not played since dislocating his right shoulder against the Heat on Jan. 27. He has been working with coaches who use pads to simulate contact.
“He’ll be at a comfort level when he does come back,” Thibodeau said. “Usually what happens when a player goes through whatever injury they have, every player has to get back to where they trust their body again. And that usually doesn’t happen until there’s a play in the game where you [say], ‘Hey, I’m OK.’ So he’s doing all the work that he needs to do and he’s making good progress and just [working his] way through it.”
