Julius Randle’s extended absence a Knicks concern with time running out before playoffs

Another game, another DNP for Julius Randle.

And as the hourglass nears empty before the playoffs, the questions about Randle’s rust become more relevant.

“I’m always concerned,” Tom Thibodeau said. “About everything.”

To be clear, Thibodeau always uses that phrase and wasn’t implying much about Randle beyond his usual Thibs-ism deflection.

But the coach acknowledged Monday, perhaps in a bit of a surprise, that he’d curtail Randle if the player was ineffective.

“You just deal with your reality. So when guys do come back, you see where they are,” Thibodeau said when asked about Randle when he comes back. “We’re always going to prioritize the team. So whatever contributions they can make to help the team, that’s where we’ll go.