New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle just couldn’t see the bottom of the net for the first six games of the regular season. Things have taken a turn for the better with his latest two-game stretch.
Knicks: Randle’s Decision Making off of Drives Helped Secure Victory Over Spurs
As Ian Begley of Yahoo Sports reports, Randle spoke on what’s catalyzed his return to form after helping the Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, saying:
“Naturally, I’m playing one-on-one downhill rather than beating my guy and trying to finish over another one,” Randle said. “So size is out of the paint, they’ve got to make a decision and it frees things up a little bit.”
Randle certainly played with the aggression fans have been accustomed to seeing. Against the Spurs, he found himself curling from the top of the key and driving toward the basket. He would often draw a second defender and kick out to shooters on the outside.
Noticeably, Randle did have a bad habit of leaving his feet when the lane was closed off to him — which he did frequently throughout the contest. Nevertheless, his determination to get to the rim was infectious on the team, and led to the Knicks scoring a season-high 126 points behind 19 made threes.
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Randle Reminding the World of His All-NBA Status
Statistically, Randle was a team-high +31 on the night and added to his 23-point outing with 16 boards and five assists. He still has work to do in the efficiency department, as he got his points on 8-19 shooting from the field and 5-8 from the line, but he is trending in the right direction.
Coupled with his 27-10-3 performance against the Los Angeles Clippers this past Monday, Randle looks like his scoring woes are behind him. More off-ball movement will only aid in his ability to find easier looks on the floor and eradicate some of the discipline issues he’s working through in the driving lanes.
The Knicks will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Nov. 12. Randle will be matched up against a 2-5 Hornets team that allows 50.6 points in the paint per game and has greatly struggled early. They do have mobile and talented forwards including PJ Washington and Miles Bridges, which Randle and the Knicks’ coaching staff will game plan for accordingly.
