That left Randle kicking himself for not making the defensive play on a night when the offenses ruled. His final basket, a three-point play with 42 seconds remaining, cut Minnesota's lead to 137-134, but Randle was beaten to a rebound by Kyle Anderson on Minnesota’s next possession, and a cutting Taurean Prince scored inside with 10.1 seconds left before Mike Conley made a free throw after Randle was called for a technical foul. The Wolves led 109-108 after being ahead by 17 in the first half. The All-Star forward poured in a team-record 26 points in the third quarter, bringing the Knicks back into the game. Randle had 52 through three quarters, already surpassing his previous best of 46 points. 24, 2014, and Bernard King’s 60 on Christmas Day in 1984. Randle tied Richie Guerin behind the only two 60-point games in Knicks history, Carmelo Anthony’s 62 on Jan. “I’m such a results-driven person, I try to focus on the process a little bit more and taking the necessary steps to get better and build as a team," Randle said. Randle scored 57 points, matching the third-highest total in franchise history, but New York lost 140-134 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not when it came in a losing effort.Īnd not when he blamed himself for the crucial rebound that got away. While this season was very disappointing as he and his team failed to meet expectations, it’s way too early to give up on the former All-Star.NEW YORK (AP) - Maybe someday Julius Randle will savor one of the best offensive nights in Knicks history. There’s clearly still a productive player here, Randle is just a year removed from carrying the Knicks to a top-4 seed. Fans calling for Randle to be traded or benched couldn’t have helped the situation either. Randle signed a four-year, $106 million extension that kicks in this offseason, and it’s clear that he wants to be in New York for years to come despite being booed off the court on multiple occasions. Personally, it’s tough to defend Randle’s on-court play, but his antics are to be expected of someone with such weight on their shoulders. Some defended his 20-10-5 statline, while others called out his poor attitude and inefficiency. Knicks fans’ opinions on Randle were divisive throughout the season. Coach Tom Thibodeau seemed reluctant to play them together, but they may need to move that way as Toppin continues to improve. Lineups that featured Obi Toppin at the power forward were much more efficient than those with Randle, however, one of the Knicks’ most efficient groups included both Toppin and Randle. The Knicks won seven of their past eleven games as their young guys saw increased roles. Moving forward, a role with Randle as the secondary or even tertiary scoring option might be beneficial for the Knicks.Īlthough not entirely his fault, Randle was part of a group of veterans who held the Knicks back from their ceiling. However, in the second half, he took somewhat of a back seat to RJ Barrett, who ascended to a 24 PPG scorer in the new year. In the first half of the season, Julius Randle was playing a role similar to the one he played in 2020-21, he frequently had the ball in his hands in isolation and led the team in shot attempts. His RAPTOR WAR (FiveThirtyEight’s Wins Above Replacement Model) fell from 7.7 to -0.9, fueled by his on/off rating of -9.5. His 15.7 PER was his lowest since his first full NBA season in 2015-16. Randle’s BPM (Box Plus-Minus) fell from 3.8 to just 0.5 in 2021-22. Moreso than his standard numbers, Randle’s advanced stats took a huge hit this season. His TS% fell from 56.7% to 50.9% but his shot attempts and usage rate declined only marginally. He shot just 41.1% from the field and 30.6% from three as opposed to the 45.6% FG% and 41.1% 3P% that he put up last season. He averaged 20.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG, leading the team in all three stats. There’s no denying that Knicks fans expected more from Randle, but his raw numbers still look good. Randle followed up his 2nd team All-NBA season in 2020-21 with a massive decline in 2021-22.
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