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The New York Knicks are on another winning streak after dispatching the San Antonio Spurs, and the team is getting healthier as the days go by.
Obi Toppin is cleared to play, RJ Barrett is nearing a return, and Jalen Brunson doesn’t look like he has any lingering pain. When paired with the strong play we’ve seen from Julius Randle of late and this looks like a squad that can make some noise for the rest of the season.
Randle put up 25 points in the win over the Spurs, but it came on 9-26 shooting, one of his poorest shooting nights of the season. To make matters worse, he went just 1-8 from deep, and while he picked up four blocks on the defensive end, he was hard on himself despite the win.
“I Was Garbage”
A win is a win, but it seems like Randle isn’t happy with the way he played and wants to do better in the future.
When asked about his four blocks, something he’s not been known for in his career, he smiled while saying he played like garbage.
“I don’t know, just playing hard,” he said. “I was garbage, so I had to do something.”
The most Randle has ever averaged in blocks is 0.6 per game during his lone season with the Pelicans, so breaking out with four of them is a big deal.
Nevertheless, he and the Knicks will be hoping this poor shooting night will simply be an outlier for him, and looking as his season numbers, that could end up being the case.
Randle Making a Case for the All-Star Team
After last season’s slump, there wasn’t a ton of optimism about Randle reaching his All-NBA or even All-Star ceiling again, but he has since shattered those expectations.
In many ways, he’s topping his All-Star season with the Knicks, but with a good chunk of the year to go, there’s no telling if things will hold. So far, he’s averaging 24.2 PPG to go along with 10.0 RPG. His assists are down from his All-Star campaign, but that might have more to do with Jalen Brunson playing point guard than himself.
It’s unlikely the Knicks will secure the 4th seed in the east like they did when he made the All-NBA team, but there’s still a chance they could avoid a play-in spot by landing the 6th seed.
He’s Benefited From Brunson
Playing alongside a playmaker like Brunson has helped Randle thrive in a way he didn’t have the ability to last season. There were some questions about how the offense would run with a ball-dominant Randle, but it looks like things are going well so far.
Randle has become more efficient with Brunson, and the team has seen a boost as a result. It also helps that the two seem to really get along with each other.
“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Randle said about Brunson. “I can’t say enough [about] the chemistry and energy that he brings to the locker room.”
Once RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin return to the lineup, the Knicks will have a better idea of how a full-strength team looks. There’s still time before the trade deadline to make a move, and while many fans wanted to see Randle shipped away before the season, many of them have now changed their tune.
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