After shooting an abysmal 20.6% from 3-point range through the New York Knicks’ first 8 games, Julius Randle looked to be in for another season full of shooting woes.
However, lately, he has made quite the turnaround from an efficiency standpoint. In Wednesday’s blowout loss vs. the Brooklyn Nets, Randle was the lone bright spot, scoring 24 points while shooting 4-for-8 from 3-point land.
His latest performance follows a game where he hit 8 threes and scored 31 points on Monday vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, with both marks being season-highs. His eight 3PM is a mark that also tied his personal career high. He is now shooting a staggering 53.6% from long range in his last 3 games.
Randle is also averaging a stellar 28 PPG on that terrific shooting clip over his last 3 games. The quick turnaround has raised his overall 3-point percentage to a superb 35.5%, which is 8th best in the NBA among power forwards (minimum 25 MPG).
Julius Randle is looking like the Randle of the old:
Flashback to 2021, where Randle shot an astounding 41.1% from 3 and earned a 4-year, $117 million contract extension with the Knicks after winning the Most Improved Player of The Year Award. He followed that up with an abysmal shooting season, shooting just 30.8% from beyond the arc.
The reversal in effectiveness made Randle’s money-making season appear like an anomaly, as he had not been a very efficient 3-point shooter before 2021.
However, after it appeared that the shooting struggles would continue, he has regained his 2021 form. So what changed? He has shot the ball from outside with a lot more confidence, has taken better shots from outside, and has done a nice job at creating his own shots from beyond the arc.
Randle’s resurgence from outside could not have come at a better time for the Knicks, as they have struggled overall from beyond the arc of late, shooting a below-league-average clip of 32.6% from outside the arc over their last 5 games.
Knicks head coach, Tom Thibodeau, emphasized the importance of his team to clean up the shooting from beyond the arc after their win against the Timberwolves on Monday night.
“Obviously, we want to attack the rim. I think we’re first in the league in points in the paint. But we’ve also got to think about how we can create those opportunities where we get good open 3s.”
Tom Thibodeau on the importance of 3-point shooting via New York Post
Ideally, the Knicks would love for him to continue to shoot the ball well from 3-point distance, as it will effectively open up the floor for other players on the court to get good looks both inside the paint and from 3-point distance. Spacing has been a rather constant issue the Knicks have had this season.
Randle will look to continue his hot shooting stretch when the Knicks head back home to Madison Square Garden for a Friday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
This will be the second time the Knicks and Pistons face off this season, with the first being the Knicks’ best 3-point performance this season, as they shot 42.1% from 3 and scored 130 points in a win.
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