Apr 18, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) shoots over the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first quarter of game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Playoffs-New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers
(New York, NY) – It has not been a strong start to the season for New York Knicks forward Julius Randle – carrying over what was a disappointing finish to his season last year, as his squad was bounced from the NBA Playoffs.
But head coach Tom Thibodeau, who is never quick to criticize his players in public, has Randle’s back. After posting an ugly 3-for-15 night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thibodeau said the refs missed a few calls.
He also went further into detail about how Randle’s recovery from offseason surgery is making an impact:
“Any time a player has surgery there’s gonna be [an adjustment] because it’s different in the offseason, particularly for [Randle]. He’s got a pretty strong routine that he likes to adhere to, and this summer was different. And sometimes that can be beneficial, too. It’ll come around for him. He’s gotta go through things, and I think the more that he does it, the better he’ll get.”
Just a few weeks after the Knicks season came to a close last spring, Randle underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. He’d first hurt it in March, was then shut down for the end of the regular season, and returned during the playoffs. Randle reinjured the ankle during the playoffs, and missed one game – but never complained or used that as an excuse – to his credit. During the five games he’s played since undergoing surgery, Randle has averaged just 13 points on 28% shooting.
Over the previous 41 games, he’d averaged 27 points on 45% shooting. But Randle isn’t letting the early season swoon get to him: “I stay even. It’ll fall eventually. It’s a long season. 82 game-season. I trust the work, like I said, that I put in in a day-to-day basis. So it’s no point in me being frustrated. I just go with the flow and try to affect the game in other ways.”
Knicks fans know all too well that Randle will need to turn it on offensively if the team is to reach it’s goals this season. The club can’t count solely on point guard Jalen Brunson to carry the load in terms of scoring points – and RJ Barrett is dealing with a knee issue, further complicating the issue.
