Getty Julius Randle (R) is off to a very good start.
The New York Knicks are 2-1 to start the season after a win over the winless Orlando Magic, and fans are optimistic about what the future holds.
Jalen Brunson has looked very solid anchoring the point guard spot for the Knicks, but there’s a familiar face many fans are focusing on so far. Julius Randle looks like he’s reinvigorated to start the new season, and there a variety of reasons as to why that might be the case.
One reason could be the fact the Knicks have faced off against the Grizzlies sans Jaren Jackson Jr., the young Pistons and the winless Magic. To his credit, Randle has taken advantage of the opportunity and even explained a bit as to why it might be happening.
Randle Speaks Out
“I’m just trying to lose myself in the team. Lean on guys like [Jalen] and RJ. Just play for my team. The only thing that matters is winning”
– Julius Randle
Randle followed up his All-Star season with a year where he still put up solid stats at 20/10/5, but the Knicks still missed the playoffs.
Fast forward to now, and it looks like his efficiency is back to peak form, and it could play a major role in the team’s success going forward. He has downplayed his early success, but mentioned both Brunson and RJ Barrett have helped him.
“I’m just trying to lose myself in the team,” he said. “Lean on guys like [Jalen] and RJ. Just play for my team. The only thing that matters is winning.”
It sounds like a simple thing and something many players do, but it looks like it’s been paying off for Randle. In previous seasons, the offense ran through Randle and he was the team’s lead playmaker, but that has changed with Brunson in town.
Now Randle has somebody setting the table for him and it’s paid off in a big way through three games. His scoring and rebounding is around the same, but his field goal percentage has shot up from 41 percent to 51 percent so far this season.
Of course, one bad game will cause that to drop back down considering how small the sample size is, but it’s encouraging so far.
The Brunson Effect
The Knicks played out last season with Alec Burks and Kemba Walker manning the point guard position, and it’s clear it didn’t work out for them.
Despite Mitchell Robinson trying to downplay it, there’s no question the team is better with Brunson there, and the numbers speak for themselves.
Through three games, Brunson is averaging a team-best seven assists per game, and he even made it through the first two games without turning the ball over. Having somebody who can get you the ball when you’re open, or put you in a position to succeed is massive.
Randle did shout out Brunson as a key to his early success, and it’s the entire team that’s feeling his impact. While he didn’t capture the same number of headlines a trade for Donovan Mitchell would have, it’s clear the Knicks have somebody in town that has been missing for years now.
Whether the early season success continues is another thing entirely, because Knicks fans know all too well how last year went.