How long will Julius Randle be out for? Exploring recovery timeline for dislocated shoulder injury of NBA players

Julius Randle's dislocated shoulder suffered during the New York Knicks' 125-109 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday comes as a massive blow for the Knicks as they look to extend their six-game winning streak. The forward took a hard fall in the closing minutes.

When he was helped up, Randle was visibly injured and was seen explaining to the Knicks training staff that he was unable to move his right arm. Per ABC, Anthony Goenaga, the Knick's head trainer, tried to help him by popping his right arm back into its socket, but the player hunched over again before jogging back to the locker room.

As a result, the 29-year-old will miss his first game of the season against the Charlotte Hornets. On the game front, Julius Randle had 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes of action as the Knicks blew out the Miami Heat.

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How long will Julius Randle be out for?

According to the New York Post, Dr. Dennis DeBernardis, an expert in shoulder and elbow surgery at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Manhattan and Jersey City, explained that the X-ray would have shown the extent of the damage Julius Randle sustained.

After preliminary X-rays confirmed the dislocation a day earlier, the ongoing evaluations of the Knicks All-Star forward's right shoulder indicate positive signs, hinting that his absence from the court will likely be measured in weeks rather than months, as reported by sources informed by ESPN.

“Let’s say they recommend no surgery," said Dr. DeBernardis. "Then he can come back to play once he has a full range of motion, full strength and no pain. Those are the major criteria.

"Once you do that, you can come back to play. … In general, that could be up to two to three weeks. That could be up to six to eight weeks, depends on how fast he progresses.”

The report also added that orthopedics who examined Randle reckon the forward could be out for at least three weeks. The worst-case scenario would be season-ending surgery.

The injury has parallels with Dwyane Wade's shoulder dislocation. The guard chose to rehabilitate his shoulder and delay surgery until after the season.

Randle's injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Knicks who have been on a splendid run this season, going 12-2 after their win over Miami. Randle, who had an All-NBA nod last season, was a potential ASG reserve candidate this season, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Depending on the prognosis, Julius Randle will almost certainly miss the next few games for New York. Their next three games are against the resurgent Utah Jazz, followed by matchups against the Indiana Pacers and the LA Lakers.