As sources recounted in November 2023, Knicks forward Julius Randle had been “operating at approximately 70 percent” and “limited by pain” in the six-game stretch in which he failed to break the barrier. of 20 points to start the season. .
Over those six games, in which the Knicks could only finish 2-4, Randle averaged 13.7 points while shooting 27 percent from the field and 22 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Randle’s disastrous start to the campaign was seriously talked about as one of the worst in history, but I didn’t (correctly) believe the false narrative.
Anyway, it seems like all that happened seven years ago, not seven months. How things changed and how many more things happened between then and the end of the Knicks season.
It’s curious that Randle, coming off a 2023 season that ended at the hands of the Heat… would end a season again in another game against Miami… that also ended with the three-time All-Star injured and undergoing surgery.
A year ago, Randle suffered his injury in the postseason. This season, however, things were much worse for him and the Knicks’ outlook, as JR went down in late January after colliding first with Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez and then with the hardwood, putting a quick but delayed end to his campaign.
Randle was so good after that supposed “leave” that no one doubted his nomination to the All-Star Game in mid-February. It’s now back-to-back seasons for Randle earning ASG nods.
Randle was only able to appear in 46 games, his fewest since his one-game rookie year in 2014-15, but he posted sublime numbers across the board, no matter what angle you look at them from.
- Per game: 24 points, 9.2 boards, 5 dimes, 0.8 shares
- For 36 minutes: 24.3 points, 9.3 boards, 5.1 dimes, 0.9 shares
- Per 100 possessions: 34.1 points, 13.1 boards, 7.1 dimes, 1.2 shares
Randle shot 47.2 percent from the floor, 31.1 from three and 53.9 from the charity stripe. He posted a true shooting percentage of 56.9, just one percentage point behind his best since joining the Knicks.
All of the above under a Usage Rate of 29.9 percent. I ran a simple query on StatHead and couldn’t even find 20 comparables. To name a few: Giannis, Jokic, LeBron, Durant, Curry, Zion, Luka, Shai, Embiid and Tatum.
Not bad company, I’d say.
But we’re talking about Julius Randle here, right?
And talking about Randle in the context of the Knicks and within an orange and blue room will always raise the same questions: Will he stay or will he go? Should he stay or should the Knicks move him the first chance they get?
It’s been that way since New York selected Obi Toppin with the eighth pick in the 2020 Draft. Then, of course, Randle became RANDLE and Toppin became low-priced trade fodder.
Now that Jalen Brunson has surpassed Julius in the Knickerbocker pecking order, the conundrum has once again plagued the New York front office.
Whatever happens next, and whether Randle retires to a Knick who won’t play anywhere else in the next decade or is traded to the Boston Celtics or Indiana Pacers, I don’t think the perception of JR will ever change.
For those who still don’t accept the fact or think of Randle as a bona fide NBA star (which he absolutely and objectively is), that opinion will remain the same.
What else does this man need to do? Damn, what else can he do?
Once again, the rise has been ridiculous: 2021 Most Improved Man, 2x All-NBA, 3x All-Star.
We already discussed this (at a much lower level) with the RJ/IQ trade last December. We were sad (at least I was) to see two local kids being moved north of the border, but it turns out it was (at least in the four months we’ve experienced it) for the better.
It feels like the writing is on the wall…or not. Julius Randle is a walking enigma that is only amplified by the Knicks faithful, the perception of him and how he is constantly talked about and handled in relation to the front office.
It’s (probably) too late and may seem dated, but enjoy Randle while he’s here. His game is well worth your (and everyone’s) attention.
Keynote USA
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