It wasn’t until Julius Randle landed with the New York Knicks that the former lottery pick really started to show his potential and his leadership capabilities, as he went from a talented role player to a bonafide star under the bright lights in the Big Apple.
In his second season with the Knicks, Randle turned it on, earning an All-Star nod for the first time in his career while averaging then-career-high numbers across the board.
It appeared that the Knicks had finally found the star player they were looking for, as Randle seemed to be the real deal, but then he took a step back the next season and started to earn the reputation as a player that’s hard to play with and deal with while also being a player that doesn’t try to stay in shape.
Knicks teammate Quentin Grimes recently stuck up for Randle, as he believes the veteran forward has been given a bad rap, according to Ian Begley of SNY via New York Basketball.
Quentin Grimes on Julius Randle: “I think there’s a certain narrative around him, which I think is total bulls–t honestly. He cares a lot about this team. He does everything he can possibly [do] to make sure his body is right, to make sure he’s in the best shape possible to make… https://t.co/HOpMwljWhf pic.twitter.com/Z4XS1oWHL2
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 5, 2023
Fortunately for Randle, he bounced back with a vengeance last season, averaging a career-high 25.1 points per game and getting named an All-Star for the second time.
With Jalen Brunson coming in last season and proving his worth as a star alongside Randle, it’ll be interesting to see if this dynamic duo can continue their solid play next while trying to compete in the Eastern Conference.
New York is definitely taking strides forward with Randle resurrecting his career, but it remains to be seen if this team is a legitimate title contender.
