The left ankle injury that sidelined Julius Randle for the end of the regular season and limited him during the playoffs required surgery on Friday, though the Knicks star is expected to be back for training camp in September.
“Julius Randle underwent successful arthroscopic surgery yesterday on his left ankle,” the Knicks said Saturday morning in a statement. “He will resume basketball activities later this summer.”
Due to the ankle injury, Randle missed the last five regular-season games.
Aggravating it after his return to action cost him 2 ¹/₂ playoff games and limited his effectiveness.
But after the Knicks’ season ended in a loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Randle refused to use the injury as an alibi.
“No, I’m not one to make excuses,” Randle had said.
Randle initially injured the ankle during a March 29 regular-season game, also against the Heat.
Late in the first half, he went up for a rebound after a missed 3-point attempt, but came down Heat center Bam Adebayo’s foot.
Randle left the game with what the Knicks deemed a sprained ankle.
With the Knicks’ playoff berth already secured, Randle sat out the final five games of the regular season.
He returned to the lineup for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against Cleveland, and contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds.
But in Game 5 against the Cavaliers, Randle aggravated the injury, missing the second half of that game and the first game of the Knicks’ second-round series against Miami.
Before the ankle injuries, Randle had started all 77 games for the Knicks and had been their lone All-Star selection — averaging 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 45.9 percent shooting overall and 34.3 from 3-point range.
Randle was roundly criticized for his struggles during the playoffs, though he was clearly impacted by his ankle injury.
He averaged just 16.6 points and 8.3 boards in the postseason, his efficiency plummeting to 33.8 percent shooting and a mere 23.5 from behind the arc.
“Obviously disappointed. Wanted more. Expected more,” Randle said. “Same thing as the season: Some good moments, some moments to learn from. Just got to evaluate and move forward and see what you can do as an individual to help the team move forward.”
After his surgery, the next step for Randle is to get healthy in the offseason.
He alluded to as much after the Game 6 loss to Miami.
“Yeah, whenever I get there. Right now I’m not really in a place looking at the offseason as far as what I got to improve on or whatever it is,” Randle said. “Right now it’s recovery, spend time with my family, reevaluate everything and move forward.”
The 28-year-old was named third-team All-NBA and was selected as an All-Star for the second time with the Knicks, after a season with the Lakers and four with the Pelicans.
“Obviously, it’s a great honor. It’s a testament, you know, those things don’t happen with the group of guys that we have,” Randle had said at the time. “I’ve said it all year: It takes the belief of the front office, our coaching staff, and most of all my teammates. They trust me to go out there and compete every night and play at a high level. I just thank god. It’s a huge honor.”