Two days before Game 1, the Knicks said Julius Randle still wasn’t cleared for contact and his status was up in the air.
The team violated league access rules Thursday by not allowing media to view any parts of Thursday’s practice, adding further mystery to Randle’s sprained ankle.
But according to Tom Thibodeau, the power forward was again a limited participant in Thursday’s session. He’s running at full speed, the coach said, who added that all recovery timelines and meaningful updates will be settled by the player and medical staff.
Randle, who sprained his ankle on March 29, hasn’t spoken to the media since the injury. The Knicks play Game 1 in Cleveland on Saturday, and Thibodeau didn’t know if he’d feel comfortable playing Randle without a full practice.
“That’s where you have to trust the medical staff and you trust Julius. So, between what they think, they’re the experts, and Julius knows his body,” Thibodeau said. “Medical people, I have a lot of confidence in. We’re not gonna put him at risk. If he can go, he’ll go. We know that. He’s a gamer. If he can go, he’ll go.”
Asked if he’d give more consideration to resting Randle since Game 2 isn’t until Tuesday — thereby giving the player 20 days off since the injury — the coach again deferred.
“It’s is a medical thing. I can see what I see from what he’s doing in practice, but then you wanna rely on what they think is best,” Thibodeau said. “So, at the end of the day, I defer to them. Julius obviously has say in it, but the medical people, that’s an important part of that equation as well.”
Randle, the Knicks’ only All-Star this season, averaged 25.1 points and 10 rebounds through 77 games this season.
New York’s only other natural power forward is Obi Toppin, but Thibodeau has expressed confidence in playing either Josh Hart, RJ Barrett and Jericho Sims in that role.
The Cavs boast a tall frontcourt with 6-11 Evan Mobley at the 4.
“The Knicks can’t win the series unless Randle plays like Julius Randle,” ESPN analyst JJ Redick said in a conference call. “I don’t know his capabilities. I’m not familiar with how much, how effective he is when he’s a little banged up, but again, it’s the playoffs. I would expect Julius to have a good series. The Knicks can win.”
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