Getty Julius Randle of the New York Knicks reacts to the loss to the Denver Nuggets.
When it comes to New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle, it’s hard to argue against the notion that he’s one of the most versatile big men in the association today.
Measuring in at six-foot-eight, 249 pounds the 27-year-old’s ability to handle the ball, dish it out to teammates, and space the floor is truly impressive for someone of his size.
That said, an underwhelming aspect of Randle’s game is his inability or, rather, disinterest in taking advantage of his size.
Far too often have Knicks fans grimaced at the sight of the big man passing up back-down opportunities in the post against a mismatch for a tougher, less reliable mid-range jumper, where, in 2021-22, he hoisted 350 shot attempts in comparison to 316 when at the rim.
His ability to partake and, frankly, dominate in this aspect of the game is quite apparent and has been showcased on a number of occasions throughout his nine-year career.
That said, with his role as top dog in head coach Tom Thibodeau’s scheme, it has become abundantly clear that Randle’s preferred style of play is when being utilized as a point-big, a la LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic.
Though his efficiency in such a role is nowhere near that of any one of these aforementioned players, his desire to play as such is just as strong which, as a result, has been incredibly aggravating for Knicks fans to endure.
And while the hope for many is that top-billed free agency acquisition Jalen Brunson will serve as the primary ball handler within the team’s 2022-23 system, a recently surfaced workout video suggests that not only is Randle still looking to serve as a lead handler himself but he’s also added a driving floater to his game, a move often utilized by smaller guards.
Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle getting ready for the season 👀
(via cbrickley603/IG)
Adding this move into his arsenal now gives Randle, someone with the ideal build for being a menacing post-up player, another avenue to embark on offensively that, in turn, could very well bring him farther away from pursuing more easy back-down opportunities.
And considering how inefficient the former All-Star was just last season, this could be a cause for concern for Knicks fans.
Randle’s Extremely Inefficient Offensively
When looking at Julius Randle’s 2021-22 season statistics on the surface, it would appear that the big man was actually quite productive during his widely perceived “down year.” After all, through 72 games played, he found himself putting up rather impressive averages of 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
The only other players who exceeded these numbers in each category last season were Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two most recent league MVPs.
However, when delving a bit deeper, these numbers proved to be somewhat empty, particularly when it comes to the points department as he ended the campaign off ranking as the least-efficient number one scoring option in the NBA.
The Curious Case Of Julius Randle
Last year’s Most Improved Player was one of this year’s most disappointing shooters.
Out of 68 players that attempted at least 500 jumpers this season, Randle ranked last in efficiency with eFG% of just 40.95
After putting up the most efficient shooting season of his carer in 2021-22, boasting conversion clips of 45.6% from the field and 41.1% from deep, Randle came crashing back down to the norm in 2022-23 with mediocre splits of 41.1% shooting from the floor and 30.8% shooting from deep.
Knicks Could Trade Randle
After failing to acquire Donovan Mitchell this summer, as he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on September 1, many fans and pundits alike are now of the belief that the Knicks could be interested in finding a trade suitor for Julius Randle and the remaining four years, $117 million on his contract.
Of course, this idea is certainly nothing new, as Fred Katz of The Athletic reported on a June 28 episode of the “Callin Shots with Seth Partnow” podcast that New York has already been pondering on such a transaction for some time now.
Should Leon Rose and company shop the power forward, there could be several clubs found inquiring about his services, and, as of late, a popular possible trade partner could be the Hornets.
After barely missing out on the postseason last year with an impressive record of 43-39, Charlotte is now looking to better bolster their rotation around budding superstar point guard LaMelo Ball in an effort to finally make it over the hump during this coming campaign.
To some, Randle could be the type of talent they need.
Considering their vacancy at the starting power forward position coupled with their own undesirable contracts they’d like to rid themselves of such as Gordon Hayward, Charlotte could be a realistic suitor for Randle in the event of a trade.
With Randle in the mix, the Hornets would be bringing on a 20-plus point per game scorer from over the last five seasons into their already impressive rotation while essentially “buying-low” on a player who, just two seasons ago, was deemed the NBA’s Most Improved Player and finished within the top-10 of the league’s MVP race.