Julius Randle hasn’t been playing to his full potential as of late. He is being asked to do a lot offensively. What needs to change ?
Too much to handle
In the past, Coach Tom Thibodeau has been known to put heavy responsibilities on his star players on both ends of the floor. He did it with Derrick Rose in Chicago and briefly with Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. It is now happening again with Julius Randle, who is starting to struggle because of it. Last season, Julius thrived in this role as he became the NBA’s most improved player while averaging 24.1ppg, 10.2rpg, and 6 apg. He also led the league in minutes played as he averaged 37.6 minutes a game. The heavy minutes and the high demand on the offensive end proved to be one of the Knicks downfalls in the playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Numbers
In reference to the stats, Julius is currently averaging 35 minutes a game and ranks 7th in isolation plays. Due to the fact that the Knicks offense mainly relies on Julius Randle’s offensive skill, it makes the Knicks very predictable and forces Julius to exert a lot of energy on that end of the floor. Even though he has shot only 37.9% in the last 10 games, his offensive role gives him no choice but to shoot a lot from the field.
With the season still being early and the Knicks not finding any consistency as they hold an 11-9 record, Coach Thibodeau needs to find a different offensive scheme to relieve some pressure off of Julius Randle. If he’s constantly asked to do so much, it will only hurt this team in the long run. Shooting struggles come and go for a guy like Julius. But this style of play will plague any potential this team has this season.
thePeachBasket exists to amplify the voice of passionate basketball fans worldwide! We are the home of Fan Experts and Voice of the Fan! ™
BACKPACK JULIUS BACKPACK JULIUS
