Julius Randle has bigger COVID concerns than just the six teammates who remain unavailable to the Knicks due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Randle is one of several Knicks with an infant child at home, and the All-Star forward said he’s been taking extra precaution to shield his family, which also includes his 5-year-old son, Kyden.
“Yeah, it’s definitely something I try to be cautious of,” Randle said after Monday’s practice. “When I’m at home and around my son, I try to be cautious of how I’m interacting with him and touching him and all that different type of stuff. It’s tough.
“And my mom was just in town. She’s diabetic. She left right before all this happened. I was talking to her [Sunday] and I’m glad she’s back home and safe. It’s definitely in the back of my mind when you’re at home and interacting with family members, for sure.”
The six Knicks presently in health and safety protocols — RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Kevin Knox, Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley — were sidelined again for Tuesday’s game against the Pistons at the Garden.
Derrick Rose also was out for the second consecutive game with a sore right ankle, meaning Kemba Walker — who scored 29 points in 37 minutes in Saturday’s loss in Boston — was in the starting lineup again following a nine-game benching.
“I think there’s so many variables to this season that you just take it day by day,” Tom Thibodeau said before Tuesday’s game. “You know the one thing about the league in general is there’s always change, but to this degree is different.
“And then it becomes how quickly can we adapt? That’s the challenge for us. Just find a way. Understand what goes into winning, and that the same things go into winning. And just whoever is called upon, get in there and get the job done.”
All of the Knicks — and 95 percent of the league’s players — have been vaccinated for COVID-19, but more than 70 NBA players were in protocols, with seven games already postponed in the past week and the league revamping its rules to allow decimated teams to sign emergency replacements.
The Knicks, for instance, have added Damyean Dotson, Tyler Hall and Matt Mooney on 10-day contracts to provide roster reinforcements after only eight players were available.
The league also sent out a memo Tuesday morning informing teams that are scheduled to play Christmas games — including the Knicks against the Hawks at noon — that they should be prepared for a potential time change if any of the games in the later time slots are forced to be postponed due to the virus outbreak.
Still, NBA commissioner Adam Silver also told ESPN that the league has “no plans right now” to follow the NHL’s lead in temporarily pausing its season due to COVID concerns.
“We’re taking all the precautions necessary and wearing a mask and different types of stuff,” Randle said. “But it’s tough. It’s different when you get on the plane and the people you’re normally sitting by aren’t there. So yeah, it’s a little weird.
“But it’s the league right now. It’s the world.”
Thibodeau added that he also has noticed that players still available have been taking extra precaution to remain on the court.
“Just being aware of what’s going on right now,” Thibodeau said. “You want to take every precaution. You want to play it safe. Safety has to come first. These guys, you can’t overlook that they have families. They have things they are concerned about as well. I think we are all in the same boat.”
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