Getty Julius Randle had a confrontation with a Knicks coach caught on camera.
Day by day, the New York Knicks find themselves in a deeper hole to climb out of if they want to make it to even the NBA play-in tournament which would give them a chance to enter the playoffs officially.
At 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks hold a 24-29 record, and it seems quite clear they just aren’t a good team at the moment. The trade deadline is February 10, and it’s expected the team will make some moves there, but it’s unclear just how much they’ll be able to unload.
Of course, it’s not even a guarantee the Knicks will even be sellers, but if they are buyers, Tom Thibodeau will likely want to have a bigger say in things.
One of the reason for the Knicks’ struggles this year has been their star forward Julius Randle. After taking home a bunch of hardware last season, including an All-NBA selection, Randle’s efficiency has fallen off a cliff, and while his numbers still look solid, it’s a far cry from what he was.
His attitude has been criticized by fans and the media, and his latest confrontation with Knicks video coordinator Scott King was caught on camera. With the age of the internet, and with Knicks fans holding Randle under a microscope, the interaction quickly went viral.
Randle Caught on Camera
Julius Randle 😳
(h/t @AhnFireDigital)
During the overtime loss to the Los Angeles Laker, the Knicks forward was caught on tape during a timeout having a disagreement with King.
In the video, it appears the coach is attempting to show Randle something on his laptop, but the forward didn’t seem to have interest in checking it out. He slaps the laptop away and attempts to leave the huddle before King begins shouting and Randle causing him to turn away and get in his face.
Other coaches immediately stepped in to defuse the situation and nothing else came from it. It’s tough to tell exactly what the issue was here in a video without sound because it could have just been a “heat of the moment” type thing and there’s no bad blood between the two.
On the other hand, it could be a result of blowing a massive lead over the Lakers in what has been a disappointing season.
Will the Knicks Deal Randle?
GettyCould Julius Randle really go the Kings?
Something that has been looming over the Knicks as of late is what to do with Randle. The forward just signed a massive contract extension that has him in New York for the long haul.
However, there is interest from teams around the league in Randle, but it remains how serious those talks are. A frequent idea that gets floated is a swap of De’Aaron Fox and Randle. On paper, it seems like a good move for both sides, but there’s no telling how things would work out.
Randle had an incredible season just one year ago, and the Knicks might believe he can get back to that point. It hasn’t been the case this year, but the same can be said for the whole starting lineup.
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