Julius Randle still hasn't taken season-ending surgery off the table, and even if he returns, Boomer wonders if the Knicks All-Star will be enough of his usual self to have an impact.
"He's been known as a physical basketball player. He likes to get in the paint, go in there and get the rebounds, push guys around," Boomer said. "If he does come back this year without the surgery, what kind of player will he be when he comes back? Is he gonna be a guy that just stands out at the 3-point line and not being the Julius Randle that he has grown into over the last three years?"
Without Randle playing at his best, Boomer doesn't believe the Knicks can take down the best in the Eastern Conference in a playoff series, especially not after watching New York fall to Boston on Saturday night.
"When the Celtics are on, the Knicks - without Julius Randle - cannot play against them," Boomer said. "I just don't know how he is going to be effective in the way he was prior to the injury if he does come back this year."
If Randle doesn't believe he can be his typical self without surgery, then Gio says he might as well just get the procedure done.
"I would think if Julius Randle does not get surgery and rehabs, he's just gonna have to push through it and be the player that he has been," Gio said. "He's got to be the guy he has to be, and if not, it's useless, and just get the surgery."
