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Jalen Brunson deflected Julius Randle‘s compliments about him pushing the polarizing New York Knicks forward to his second All-Star season.
“The one thing I know is Julius does the work,” Brunson told SNY’s Ian Begley after Team USA’s scrimmage in Las Vegas on Friday. “That’s a compliment coming from him, but he has the mindset. I may have helped a little bit, but that’s really all him. He’s a worker, he comes in every day and does what he has to do at practice. He makes sure he gets all his work in.”
Brunson’s comments came after Randle heavily credited Brunson’s leadership for his remarkable turnaround last season following a year of disappointment marked by clashes with game officials and fans.
“One of the biggest people that honestly pushed me was Jalen, my teammate, because I saw how he worked,” Randle said Wednesday in an episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted in Brooklyn. “And I’m a worker. And I saw how diligent he was, his focus level to it. So JB’s really pushed me.”
Brunson’s arrival in New York stabilized the emotional Randle, and the duo led the Knicks to their second postseason berth in three years, and their first playoff series win in a decade. Brunson carried a hobbling Randle in the playoffs as they came two wins away from beating eventual Finalist Miami Heat and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.
Randle, who is on track to recover from arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, believes his best is yet to come.
“Me and my trainer were just talking about this, we were talking about prime years,” Randle said. “And I feel like your prime is when your mental and physical kind of meet. And physically, I feel like this is going to be my best year. But mentally, I feel like I’ve taken a tremendous step because I’ve had to slow all the way down. I wasn’t allowed to train.”
Julius Randle Admits to Being a ‘Sore Loser’
Randle has become the most polarizing Knicks player because he wears his emotions on his sleeve. Either the fans hate or love him. There is no middle ground.
Randle acknowledged playing in one of the biggest markets in the NBA has been rough. But he’s embracing it.
“Yeah, it’s different. It’s definitely different from every other place. It’s tough,” Randle said Wednesday in an episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted. “Especially for a person like me who cares so much. And wants to win. And wants to win every single game. My friends will tell you, my wife, everybody will tell you I’m a sore loser. And the media, it’s tough. But I could say being here in New York has made me who I am to this day. It built me.”
RJ Barrett Labeled as NBA’s 2nd-Most Overrated Player
RJ Barrett got another whiteboard material after the Bleacher Report listed him as the second-most overrated NBA player over the last five years.
According to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, Barrett “has been one of the worst shooters in basketball over the course of his career.”
“And his overall impact on plus-minus has been absolutely dreadful for the New York Knicks,” Bailey wrote. “And regarding that plus-minus impact, the Knicks are minus-1.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor over his four seasons, compared to plus-3.9 without him.”
Barrett is currently training with Canada in preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He is set to enter the first of his four-year, $107 million extension next season after an up-and-down fourth year in the NBA.
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