The word on Julius Randle, consistent for over a month now, is that he’s rehabbing with the plan to return following a dislocated right shoulder. There’s always a chance of a setback or disappointment during the recovery, which is why he couldn’t rule out season-ending surgery. But everything up until this point, including those sweat-filled conditioning sessions, suggests he’ll be back. 

(Given that team president Leon Rose never talks and Tom Thibodeau has become a noninformative broken record with his “step-by-step” injury updates, we’ll just have to take Randle’s word for it.)

“Right now I’m just focused on trying to avoid [surgery], obviously, and get back on the court as soon as I can,” Randle told reporters about a week ago.

Which brings us to an important question about the three-time All-Star ahead of the playoffs: How much will the injury hamper his game upon returning?