The New York Knicks’ defense continues to be the talk of the town, but Julius Randle has also been impactful.
Sadly, last night, the New York Knicks’ eight-game winning streak ended against the Toronto Raptors. But New York has played a better brand of basketball than they have for most of the season, and Julius Randle has been a factor. He is averaging 22.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with a slash line of .464/.324/.771.
Of course, the addition of Jalen Brunson this offseason has improved this team. On top of that, we can’t disregard RJ Barrett getting out of his shooting slump. Also, the Knicks’ defense being as stellar as it has been during this seven-game winning streak is a game changer.
But we really can’t overlook Randle’s recent performance. Through New York’s eight-game winning streak, Randle averaged 25.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists with a slash line of .427/.319/.806. And last night, he was instrumental in a tight battle against Toronto, where he posted 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and a 76.5 field goal percentage.
Now, depending on which side of the Julius Randle debate you are on, there are two ways to interpret these numbers. It’s either: Randle has been performing at this level all season long, or Randle’s field goal percentage has dipped, so he’s just getting his! But to both of those trains of thought, that’s just not true.
Yes, the numbers are there for Randle, and they typically are. Just look at his stat lines since he’s been with the Knicks:
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 25 | NYK | NBA | PF | 64 | 64 | 32.5 | 7.2 | 15.7 | .460 | 1.0 | 3.6 | .277 | 6.2 | 12.1 | .515 | .492 | 4.0 | 5.5 | .733 | 2.4 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 19.5 |
| 2020-21 | 26 | NYK | NBA | PF | 71 | 71 | 37.6 | 8.5 | 18.6 | .456 | 2.3 | 5.5 | .411 | 6.2 | 13.1 | .474 | .516 | 4.9 | 6.0 | .811 | 1.2 | 9.0 | 10.2 | 6.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 24.1 |
| 2021-22 | 27 | NYK | NBA | PF | 72 | 72 | 35.3 | 7.1 | 17.3 | .411 | 1.7 | 5.4 | .308 | 5.4 | 11.9 | .458 | .459 | 4.2 | 5.6 | .756 | 1.7 | 8.2 | 9.9 | 5.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 20.1 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | NYK | NBA | PF | 32 | 32 | 33.9 | 7.6 | 16.3 | .464 | 2.3 | 6.9 | .324 | 5.3 | 9.3 | .569 | .534 | 5.2 | 6.7 | .771 | 2.0 | 7.3 | 9.3 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 22.5 |
| 4 seasons | NYK | NBA | 239 | 239 | 35.0 | 7.6 | 17.1 | .444 | 1.7 | 5.2 | .338 | 5.9 | 12.0 | .490 | .495 | 4.5 | 5.8 | .769 | 1.8 | 8.1 | 9.9 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 21.5 |
Generated 12/22/2022.
So, if he has been able to maintain the same statistical output, what has changed? For part of this season, Randle reverted to bad habits that played throughout the majority of last season and even his first year with the Knicks. He forced shots, didn’t recognize the double-teams, rarely involved his teammates on offense, and played little defense.
Well, the difference is that he is back to making winning basketball plays as he did during the 2020-21 season. You know, the same season where he was an All-Star, Second Team All-NBA, and won Most Improved Player.
Now, since we’ve watched Randle’s Jekyll and Hyde career in New York, there is a basis to be skeptical and question if he is the same player that led the Knicks to the fourth seed not too long ago. But reading his most recent statements, Randle sounds earnest in his attempt to be a better team player.
As Ian Begley reported, Julius Randle said, “Just trying to be more invested and in tune with what’s going on with our team. How can I help my guys? How can I make the best plays for my team? Next-play mentality. So the more I focus on that, the more the outside distractions become (unimportant).”
I get it. Randle’s words sound great. But is he actually doing it? Yes, he is.
On offense for these past few weeks, he is recognizing the double/triple teams and finding his open teammates. Also, Randle isn’t forcing as many shots, he’s more decisive, he isn’t holding onto the ball as long, and he is starting to cut off-ball. And then on defense, the effort has been there too. He is sticking with his assignment, making rotations, and battling for defensive boards. Even against the Pacers, we saw Randle make a smart double team on Buddy Hield to force a turnover and then dive for a loose ball after Quentin Grimes turned the ball over at halfcourt.
Taking it a step further, Randle’s statistics through 30 games this season are similar to the first 30 games of the 2020-21 season. Look below:
I know everyone will acknowledge that the three-point shooting took a dip, but many believed his three-point shot would regress. But the number that is encouraging is his effective field goal percentage, which illustrates that Randle’s shot selection is once again efficient. Last season, his effective field goal percentage was 45.9 percent (the worst it has ever been as a Knick and the third worst for his career). But his current effective field goal percentage (53.4 percent) is better than what he ended his career year with (51.6 percent).
And what makes that number so impressive is that Randle is taking the most threes he’s ever had in his career (7.1 three-point attempts per game). On top of that, the frequency with which he is taking threes makes his efficient performance that much more stellar. Take a look below:
- 2020-21 season: 29.5% 3FG frequency on 41.1 3P% (70.5% 2FG frequency on 47.4 FG%)
- 2021-22 season: 31.1% 3FG frequency on 30.7 3P% (68.9% 2FG frequency on 45.8 FG%)
- 2022-23 season: 43.4% 3FG frequency on 33.4 3P% (56.6% 2FG frequency on 55 FG%)
- Up to Mavericks game: 41.7% 3FG frequency on 33.3 3P% (58.3% 2FG frequency on 56.2 FG%)
- After Mavericks game: 45% 3FG frequency on 30.5 3P% (55% 2FG frequency on 59.1 FG%)
To some, Randle’s uptick in three-point shooting this season may be a concern since that’s not his specialty. And while that is understandable, his increase in three-point shooting is probably to complement Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett’s games. Here is their shot frequency:
- Jalen Brunson:
- 73.4% 2P frequency on 49.6 FG%
- 26.6% 3P frequency on 36.5 FG%
- RJ Barrett:
- 66.5% 2P frequency on 48 FG%
- 33.5% 3P frequency on 30.9 FG%
Unlike the 2020-21 season, when New York was one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams (with Randle contributing to that effect), the team relied on Reggie Bullock, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, and Alec Burks to help space the floor for Randle to operate. This season, the script has flipped because Brunson is now the engine instead of Randle. And for Brunson to be effective, the floor needs to be spaced so that he can attack the paint – as it was for him in Dallas.
Julius Randle has adapted during this stretch by becoming more of a well-rounded team player and allowing the game to come to him rather than forcing things to happen. With all of that said, is Randle currently playing in his All-Star form? Yes. And if he continues this level of play, he has a good shot at making the All-Star team again (make sure to vote!).
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Knicks Weekly, where CP and Alex go through the good, the bad, and the ugly of the week that was for the New York Knicks.
