Getty Julius Randle had a career night.
The New York Knicks dominated the short-handed Detroit Pistons on November 29, a day that happened to be Julius Randle’s birthday.
While Randle has been up and down throughout his tenure with the Knicks, you wouldn’t be able to tell by his performance against the Pistons.
In the game, he put up a season-best 36 points and even put down a poster dunk over Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. All in all, it was a game Knicks fans hope could have every night, but that’s just not how things have played out for him.
Asked after the game what the difference was for this game, Randle had a surprising response.
Randle Cites Sleep
“Well I’m away from my kids, so I get a little bit of sleep 😆 Nah I’m kidding I love them. I don’t know, just locked in, able to focus…The road is usually when teams come together”
— Julius Randle on his road success after scoring a season-high 36 in Detroit
The Knicks forward was all smiles following the 30-point win, as expected, and he had an amusing response as to why he was able to put up such a good performance.
“Well, I’m away from my kids, so I get a little bit of sleep,” he said with a smile. “Nah, I’m kidding, I love them. I don’t know, just lock in, able to focus.”
It helps the game came against the Pistons who are missing many members of their core rotation including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Bojan Bogdanovic, but the performance still stands.
On the year, Randle is putting up good numbers offensively. He’s averaging 21.3 points per game, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, but most importantly he’s shooting 47.2 percent from the field. If that field goal percentage keeps up, it would end up being his highest as a Knick and his best since his lone season with Pelicans after heading over there in the Anthony Davis trade.
Defensively he leaves a lot to be desired, but he’s chipping in just about where the team would want to offensively. It hasn’t resulted in a winning record, and part of that could be chalked up to the slow start from RJ Barrett. Jalen Brunson has been worth every penny the team has paid him so far, and he could end up being even more valuable as the years go on and the salary cap rises.
Can the Knicks Pull It Together?
The Knicks are a pretty average team at the moment, and there’s really no way for them to get all that much better looking at the roster.
A shakeup could be needed, but even then that wouldn’t be a guarantee. There are many fans who would love to see Julius Randle moved, despite his strong game against the Pistons, as a way to get Obi Toppin more minutes. Randle is a solid player, but his contract is a big one and it could stop the Knicks from signing impact free agents to improve the team in the summer.
There are many trades out there that involve Randle, and one recent one that was floated was packaging both him and Evan Fournier for Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is on an expiring deal, so this would free up a lot of money for the team to spend next summer.
Obviously, that move would essentially mean punting on the current season, but it’s not like they are going to be winning a championship with the way the roster is currently constructed, so some sort of change is needed.