Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Adjustment to new team continues
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Randle totaled 17 points (6-16 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, six assists and one steal in 36 minutes during Sunday's 95-94 loss to the Heat.
The veteran forward continues to put up solid, if somewhat disappointing, numbers for the Timberwolves. While Randle's efficiency has gone up -- he's shooting 53.1 percent from the floor, his best mark since 2017-18, and 40.9 percent from three-point range, his best performance since 2020-21 -- his usage has gone down compared to his last few years with the Knicks, and he has yet to attempt 20 shots in a game for Minnesota. Randle's 6.7 boards a game is also on pace for a career low, as he's never finished a season below 8.0. As the third wheel on a team with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert in well-defined roles, this level of production may be the new normal for Randle.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Strong display in win Friday
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Randle totaled 22 points (8-18 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one block in 32 minutes during Friday's 127-102 win over the Trail Blazers.
Randle has adjusted well to the role of being the Timberwolves' second option on offense behind Anthony Edwards, and the veteran forward is getting the job done on both ends of the court so far. Through his nine starts, Randle is averaging a solid 21.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.7 steals across 33.2 minutes per game. He's also scored over 20 points in four of his five outings this month.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Hits for 23 in Friday's win
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Randle logged 23 points (8-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds and seven assists over 37 minutes during Friday's 119-116 victory over the Nuggets.
The former Knick has had a strong start to his Minnesota tenure. Randle has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, and in five contests to begin the season he's averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 boards, 5.4 assists and 2.4 threes while shooting 60.9 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Impressive in Tuesday's loss
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Randle accumulated 20 points (7-13 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 35 minutes during Tuesday's 120-114 loss to Dallas.
The veteran forward posted his best all-around performance yet for Minnesota, scoring at least 20 points for the third straight game and recording his first steals or blocks in the young season. Randle appears to be fitting in well in the Timberwolves' frontcourt, and he's been locked in from downtown, going 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from three-point range.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Briefly exits Tuesday
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Randle checked back into Tuesday's game versus the Mavericks with 9:19 left in the fourth quarter after heading to the locker room with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter.
Randle took a shot to the face after attempting to block Mavericks forward Naji Marshall in transition. While Randle was shaken up from the play, he should be able to finish out Tuesday's contest without missing a significant chunk of time.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Stays hot in win
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Randle notched 24 points (9-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-7 FT), nine rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes during Saturday's 112-101 victory over the Raptors.
After a quiet performance in his Minnesota debut, Randle has recorded back-to-back strong all-around performances. Over his last two games, Randle has totaled 57 points (22-33 FG), 14 rebounds and nine assists. Notably, Randle has yet to record a block or steal through three games.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Leads team with 33 points
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Randle totaled 33 points (13-17 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 2-3 FT), five rebounds and four assists across 35 minutes during Thursday's 117-115 win over Sacramento.
While Randle is expected to accomplish great things with the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert's 3/11/1 line is an interesting twist in Minnesota's frontcourt storyline. Randle lacks the finesse of Karl-Anthony Towns, but he's an absolute beast under the basket and isn't afraid to roam the perimeter to test his three-point shot. One could argue that Towns was a better fit for Gobert's bottom line, but an ideal outcome is that Randle and Gobert can share the load. Those who drafted Gobert will need to monitor his usage because Randle isn't going anywhere.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Ready for Opening Night
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Randle (rest/shoulder) is available for Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against the Lakers.
Randle suited up one time during the preseason, marking his first game action since Jan. 27. The 29-year-old missed the club's final preseason outing due to rest purposes, though he is likely going to be fully ready to receive a normal workload against the club that drafted him in 2014.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Not playing vs. Denver
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Randle (rest) won't be active for Thursday's preseason game against the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves are resting their starters and main backups for this game, so Randle won't see the court in the preseason finale. His next chance to feature will come against the Lakers on Opening Night on Tuesday, during which he figures to play a prominent role in the frontcourt.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Enters starting lineup
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Randle (shoulder) is officially active and starting Wednesday's preseason contest versus Chicago.
Randle will step into live game action for the first time since Jan. 27. He is flanked by Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert in the Timberwolves' new-look frontcourt. It's unclear how Minnesota may limit his workload or stagger his minutes in a new environment coming off injury.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Will debut Wednesday
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Randle (shoulder) will make his preseason debut Wednesday against the Bulls, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Randle underwent shoulder surgery in April but was always expected to be 100 percent by Opening Night. Based on this report, that still seems to be the case. However, Randle will likely have heavy restrictions during his first taste of the preseason. It will also mark his Timberwolves debut after New York traded him to Minnesota in a blockbuster offseason deal that made Karl-Anthony Towns a Knick.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Out again Sunday
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Randle (shoulder) has been ruled out of Sunday's preseason matchup against the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reports.
Randle won't suit up against his former squad, though coach Chris Finch said Friday that the All-Star will return before the preseason comes to an end, according to Dane Moore of 'The Dane Moore NBA Podcast'. Randle underwent shoulder surgery in April but is expected to be 100 percent by Opening Night. Randle's next chance to debut for the Timberwolves will come Wednesday against the Bulls.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Won't play Friday
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Randle (shoulder) has been ruled out for Friday's preseason game versus the 76ers, Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network reports.
Randle will have to wait to make his Timberwolves debut as he recovers from a shoulder surgery he underwent in April which cut his 2023-24 campaign short. However, coach Chris Finch said Friday that the big man will return before the preseason comes to an end, Dane Moore of 'The Dane Moore NBA Podcast' reports. The 29-year-old's next chance to debut will come Sunday versus the team that traded him to Minnesota this offseason -- the Knicks.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Will not debut Friday
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Randle (shoulder) will be held out of Friday's preseason opener versus the Lakers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Exactly one week after being dealt from New York to Minnesota, Randle is not ready to make his debut against the team that drafted him. This is unsurprising, as the big man was expected to be limited during the preseason as he recovers from a shoulder injury. When healthy, he is expected to start alongside Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt. In his absence Friday, Naz Reid is the likely candidate to start.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Likely to start
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Coach Chris Finch said Wednesday that Randle (shoulder) has "probably earned a starting role given his accomplishments," Jace Frederick of St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Although Randle will likely be a limited participant throughout training camp as he continues recovering from a right shoulder dislocation, his career pedigree puts him on track to enter the starting lineup upon his return to health. The two-time All-NBA forward will reinforce Minnesota's rebounding on both ends, offering some secondary creation and facilitation from the post. Naz Reid is likely a primary candidate to move into the starting lineup if Randle cannot be cleared by Opening Night.
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Timberwolves' Julius Randle: Traded to Minnesota
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Randle (shoulder) was dealt to the Timberwolves on Friday along with Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The Twin Cities have a new pair of twin towers to hold down its frontcourt. Randle's fifth year in New York was plagued with injuries, which led him to play just 46 games in the 2023-24 season. The veteran big man underwent surgery on his right shoulder in April and was given a five-month re-evaluation timetable. It remains to be seen how close he is to being ready for the start of the season.
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Knicks' Julius Randle: Unlikely to be full-go in preseason
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Randle (shoulder) is unlikely to be a full participant during the preseason, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Randle underwent surgery on his right shoulder in April and was given a five-month re-evaluation timetable. The team hasn't provided an update since, but it sounds like the talented big man is still rehabbing and will be limited to begin training camp starting in October. More information should be available during the Knicks' Media Day on Sept. 30, but NBA Insider Ian Bagley suggests Randle's potential lack of availability at training camp shouldn't be concerning. Regardless, with Isaiah Hartenstein now in Oklahoma City and the news that Mitchell Robinson (ankle) won't be ready until December or January, the Knicks' frontcourt is looking thin before the 2024-25 season kicks off.
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Knicks' Julius Randle: Undergoes successful surgery
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The Knicks announced that Randle underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in five months, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.
Randle tried to avoid surgery and return for the playoffs but ultimately had to be shut down for the season in early April after dislocating his right shoulder at the end of January. He ended the 2023-24 campaign with averages of 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 three-pointers in 35.4 minutes across 46 appearances. Randle is under contract for at least one more season, with a player option worth $29.46 million for 2025-26. His re-evaluation timeline cuts it close to the start of training camp next fall, but there's been no indication Randle is at risk of missing the start of the 2024-25 season.
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Knicks' Julius Randle: Needs surgery, out for season
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The Knicks announced Thursday that Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery in the near future and will be re-evaluated in five months.
Randle hasn't played since Jan. 27 due to a dislocated right shoulder. Despite spending the last two months rehabbing with the hope of avoiding surgery and making a late-season return, the 29-year-old forward will ultimately be shut down for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. Randle will end the season with averages of 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 three-pointers in 35.4 minutes across 46 appearances. Josh Hart has routinely seen 40-plus minutes while Randle and OG Anunoby (elbow) have been out for the better part of two months, and that trend should continue with Randle done for the season and with Anunoby facing an uncertain timeline for a return.
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Knicks' Julius Randle: Not yet taking contact
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Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday that Randle is still waiting to take contact and is "trying to strengthen the shoulder area," Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. "Some days have been better than others," Thibodeau added. "But just keep working at it and you never know when it turns. So that's the way we have to approach it."
Updates on Randle have often been vague and infrequent since he sustained a dislocated right shoulder in the Knicks' Jan. 27 win over the Heat. Though he was able to avoid surgery on the injury, the veteran power forward doesn't seem to have significant progress in the ensuing two months. For about the past three weeks, Randle has been limited to taking light contact with pads on the court, so he still looks to be closer to week-to-week than day-to-day at this stage of his recovery. The Knicks remain hopeful to get Randle back for the playoffs if not the end of the regular season, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues likely can't justify holding him while his return timeline remains uncertain.
