New York Knicks forward Julius Randle’s comeback season won’t be possible without hitting the 3-ball at a respectable level. And now, his growth into a volume three-pointer on his way to his second All-Star berth this season had been rewarded with a spot at the 3-point shooting contest.
Randle will replace Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons, who suffered an ankle injury this week.
The Knicks All-Star power forward joins a tough field of Jayson Tatum, Kevin Huerter, Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Damian Lillard, and Lauri Markkanen on Saturday night’s side event in Salt Lake City.
After his three-point shooting clip plummeted to 30.8 percent last year from a career-high 41.1 percent in his first All-Star season, Randle made a conscious effort to work on his wonky shot. It’s paying off, as he’s making 2.7 3s per game on a career-high eight attempts this season.
Randle’s renaissance is one of the major factors in the Knicks’ resurgence.
He went off for 3 of 8 from behind the arc Wednesday night en route to a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double effort to help the Knicks win their third straight and enter the All-Star break sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference.
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