Knicks News: Quickley’s jersey misspell against Detroit, one scary Julius Randle stat

The New York Knicks barely squeaked out a win against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, fighting back from a double-digit point deficit in the third quarter. Thanks to the second team, who picked up the slack as the starters played one of their worst games of the season, the Knicks managed to string together their third consecutive victory.

However, the starting five weren’t the only ones to struggle on the evening, the equipment crew also faltered, misspelling Immanuel Quickley’s name on the back of his jersey. Most would simply leave the “E” out of his last name, but instead, they completely butchered the entire sequence.

Nonetheless, Quickley finished with 18 points off the bench, posting a 27 +/-, higher than any starter on the night. Thankfully, New York has gained several players back from the Covid list in recent days, but that hasn’t helped mask the deficiencies of Julius Randle, who has struggled this season with inconsistencies in multiple categories.

One Julius Randle statistic the Knicks need to shake off:

Randle has seen a significant regression with his three-point shooting and defensive rating. The former All-Star is hitting just 32.8% of his three-point shots but also hosts a 111.1 defensive rating, compared to his 106.8 rating during the 2020-21 season. In addition, his assist/turnover ratio has dropped to 1.41, showcasing less vision and an increase in turnovers.

However, one statistic that stands out showcases his negative impact on the team at times.

In 455 minutes, the Knicks are outscoring teams by 15.9 points per 100 possessions when Randle is on the bench.

The sample size is small when Randle is off the floor, indicating that the second units of other teams may be active, in which the Knicks have a significant adventure given their strong depth. However, it has become apparent that Randle’s lackluster decision-making this season has become a liability. He fails to move the ball quickly and efficiently, holding on too long and creating unnecessary turnovers.

In the victory over Detroit, Randle posted a measly five points, and while his 10 rebounds and five assists stand out as a positive, his scoring production must be talked about.

Since the return of Kemba walker, Randle has enjoyed more efficiency, but the very moment Walker crumbled back down to earth and scored just two points against the worst team in basketball, Randle followed suit. If the two are going to be tied at the hip with their efficiency, the Knicks are going to face significant issues down the road. In fact, they may be looking to acquire another star to pair with Julius, taking the pressure off the power forward.