r/NYKnicks • u/Lovejones722 • 2d ago
Do you believe Julius’s role will be minimize with the addition of Mikal or you think he will flourish with better players around him?
It seems like certain fans wants to minimize Julius and put him in a box as if he will be the reason this team doesn’t succeed. This question is just for the sake of conversation.
122
u/Ok-Stretch1022 2d ago edited 2d ago
Julius is still our second option behind Brunson. His offensive bag is deeper than everyone else. This idea that he’s going become a role player is foolish.
→ More replies (8)54
u/QueAsc0 3 to the Dome 2d ago
We're wasting Randle if he's just used as a catch and shoot guy. In fact, I think Randle is by far the 2nd best playmaker in the team (and thats including Mikal)
32
u/Jusuf_Nurkic 2023 Second Round Pick 2d ago
Definitely, this post is wrong. Our biggest issue last playoffs was Brunson was the ONLY shot creator, poor guy had to score 40ppg for us to have a chance. We need Randle to be the active #2 option scoring 20ppg and creating shots for others as well. Which he’s done excellently the past two years with Brunson
17
u/YankeesKnicksJets 2d ago
I kept screaming through the regular season to anyone who would listen - all the “we’re just fine without Randle” talk in the regular season is all fine and dandy, but come playoffs time, we were always going to need a player who could get his own shot when the offense breaks down. Ideally a big body too. Hmmm who does that sound like…
11
u/Jusuf_Nurkic 2023 Second Round Pick 2d ago
Seriously. Could you imagine if we had Randle on Tobias Harris that Philly series? We would’ve swept them not barely won each game by the skin of our teeth
6
u/Chao-Z 2d ago
They weren't even "fine" in the regular season.
They had a worse win % once Randle went down than the previous ~50 games. It's just that ever other team imploded.
2
u/Jimm120 2d ago
eeehjhhh. that's mostly due to our february. And that february record was not because Randle was out.
It was because Randle, Mitchell, OG were out. Hartenstein was out for a few weeks. Hart played banged up for like a week and a half. Brunson was hobbled for around a week.
It was just a HORRIBLE situation for the knicks in february with most everyone out or playing heavily injured
108
u/solo118 Ewing to the Finals 2d ago
Julius starting taking a step back, he allowed Jalen to do his thing and most importantly Julius stopped relying on 3 pointers and got his ass into the paint where he does his magic.
I think we are in for a good time!
26
u/liebz11692 2d ago
He did, but he’s our number 2 creator. He’s not a sit in the corner guy. His job is to create mismatches and exploit them by moving the ball and playmaking. His shot quantity will go down, but he still needs to have the ball in his hand. Love the roster, but outside of JB the shot creation is still light.
6
u/FreeOmari 2d ago
100%. He creates so many mismatches with his physicality and now he’s going to have the most shooting around him that he’s ever had in his career. Outside of Hart and whoever is playing the 5, everyone on the court with him is more than capable of hitting catch and shoot 3’s at a high clip. It’s going to be on Julius to find them, which we know he’s capable of.
1
u/MrICopyYoSht Nova Boys 2d ago
His assist rate is going to be insane this season, we're gonna see like 9 or 10 assists from him per game.
2
u/kingofsemantics 2d ago
Imma guess 6-7 assists but boy would 9-10 be nice. That's elite level assisting right there
17
1
u/Slymook Mike Miller 2d ago
We need him to shoot a little bit better than 31% from 3 if we don’t have a 5 that can shoot
3
1
u/JDStraightShot2 Don Leon 1d ago
He shot a lot better as the season went on. He started off ice cold, but he seemed to find his shot in January before he got hurt and shot 37% on 6 3pa. Given that he literally led the league in spot up points in 22/23, he's at least an average shooter league-wide and well above average for guys his size, so it's good if he takes lots of 3s, especially if they're mainly good c&s looks rather than stepbacks
13
u/6thmanbrandon Confused Woodson 2d ago edited 2d ago
Not saying it will be Ju but somebody's gotta get their buckets with the 2nd unit. Most likely still the Jalen & Ju show. The 2nd unit would be Mikal & Divo eating (with Deuce & Josh cleaning up).
But I could see Ju be staying in with the 2nd unit & playing some 5, giving Jalen rest. He would eat against the opposing benches. These are problems we like to have.
Get us a backup C Leon 🫡
5
u/FreeOmari 2d ago
I think Jalen and Julius will get staggered rest. I’d expect one of them to almost always be on the court. They’re our 2 best shot-makers, creators, and passers.
Outside of the center rotation, I’d expect Jalen and OG to be the first subs out with Donte and Hart coming on. Donte, Mikal, Hart, Julius, backup 5 is a bit of a weird lineup with no true PG on the floor, but Donte, Hart, and Randle have shown that they’re capable of manning the controls when Brunson is out. Deuce will be the mix too, but I think his minutes will be cut, unless we need him to shut down a smaller guard.
2
u/solo118 Ewing to the Finals 2d ago
Julius can definitely work with the bench unit, but he does not have the stamina of Josh Hart. Still I think Thibs would run him about 35 or so mpg regardless if we have backup 5 or not
1
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
Not many do. But your point is well taken. That second unit can run people off the Court and play a very different style that the Jalen/Julius and a bunch of shooters first unit, which can still run in spurts but - at least under Thibs - is still going to control the tempo and the boards.
1
u/Ok-Judge9219 2d ago
Randle def should play a ton of minutes with the second unit as a point forward
23
u/dave_kb 2d ago
Gotta look at it like a contract year for JR, and with future money going to Brunson/Bridges. Think he want to continue to be featured, as his next contract will depend on this season.
10
u/Lovejones722 2d ago
It’s a double edge sword situation. He plays at an all nba level again and has a good playoff series, he’s going to price himself out of the Knicks, if he doesn’t play well on this team, they will end up trading him or let him walk. Realistically this might be the last year Julius is with the team. Sad to say because I want him to finish the journey with the Knicks
9
u/blkhwk27 DOOM 2d ago
i feel like its way too early to think about this since it depends on so much that we have yet to see. i think its more than likely we extend since we have the money, but this is a convo that should probably start in december
8
u/Ok-Judge9219 2d ago
He can’t really price himself out of the Knicks as we will be able to pay him the max due to the bird rights. I may be so wrong tho so correct me if I am
3
u/Lovejones722 2d ago
You’re probably right bro. With this new CBA I have no clue what we can or can’t do. All I know is that if your over the second apron you are royally fucked unless your the Celtics
2
u/staye7mo 2d ago
2nd apron is rough, but it seems the gimmick this time around the buoy is investing in multiple borderline all-star to All-NBA level players and running as deep as you can, We have what boston have now. Sure we have a flaw at the 5 but even the KD warriors were cooked at that end and they lived.
9
u/ImNoSir 2d ago
I personally think Randle is going to thrive on this team, it fixes his biggest weaknesses. He’s no longer required to carry the ball up the court, drive the entire offense then run back on d and guard one of the opponents top shooters. Just the freeing up of energy use alone is huge.
Offense wise- having two premiere 3 and d style wings is going to force defenses to play honest which means less cheating up to double Randle. Randle will likely have a lot more space to drive iso plays and can then easily draw a double and kick out to one of the two said wings for an open perimeter shot.
Defense- this one is the most obvious, he just doesn’t have to do nearly as much as he used to. We all saw in January how great the team looked with just OG. I’m real excited to watch that same lineup but now with Mikal as well.
3
17
u/Sharp_Black Father Knickerbocker 2d ago
Mikal Bridges is a role player. He is not taking shots away from Julius Randle. He is going back to what he does best: being a 3&D guy. And that's perfect because that's exactly what we need.
7
u/Jimm120 2d ago
Pre-OG trade, knicks shot attemps looked like this:
Brunson 19 shots(23 in feb-apr)=Probably around 20 to 21 now
Randle 18 shots =Probably around 17 to 18 shots now
RJ 15 shots =Mikal takes these 15 to 16 shots now
Quickley 11 shots =OG takes these shots now & around 11.
Randle stayed at around 18 shots per game PRE trade and POST RJ/Quick trade. So, with a stacked amount of players or even when we were missing a lot of players post trade, he still shot 18 times. So, safe to say 18 for him.
OG doesn't shoot much and only shot more with the knicks cause he had to make up scoring from losing RJ/Quick.
Mikal shot around 18 shots in his first 1/2 season with the Nets but then shot 15.8 shots last season. Him taking over RJ's 15 shots lines up.
Donte will be most affected.
Pre-trade, he was only taking 6 to 8 shots a game. not enough.
Post trade, he was taking 12 shots while eveyrone was healthy.
AFTER the injuries, he shot 19 shots, 16 shots, and 15 shots.
He's probably going back down to 12 shots a game or 10.2
u/BadassRPMofo Bernard King 2d ago
Great post. OG also had to shoot more when Jules went down.
3
u/Jimm120 2d ago edited 2d ago
i didn't check him cause I know he won't take too many shots anyway.
remember, OG really didn't play much without Julius, outside of the time he came back at the end of the season.
He was taking 11 to 12 shots a game in Toronto..
11 shots post trade with everyone healthy in january.
11.5 shots at the end of the season when he came back.
12.3 shots per game in the 9 post season games
He took more shots in the post-season because Brunson was starting to get burnt out and its mostly just 4 out of those 9(8 games actually, cause he was hurt the 9th) where he took a lot of shots. he took 14, 16 twice, and 17 once. Then all the other games he had between 10 to 12 shot attempts. I say penciling him in for 11 shots is appropriate. he takes the Quickley amount of shots, but without actually wanting more shots like Quickley wanted.
-7
u/knicksfan764 Clyde Frazier 2d ago
I think it’s inaccurate to peg Bridges as a role playing 3&D guy. He’s a borderline top 30 player. He’s 21 PPG since leaving Phoenix. 37% from 3 on high volume, and that’s not all catch and shoot.
Julius is an awesome player. I believe Mikal is a better player, and with our upgraded offensive team I do think it is for the best if Julius alters his role a little.
I’d love him to pump his numbers up as a ball screener.
12
u/Lovejones722 2d ago
Mikal a better player than Julius???? Relax
2
u/starks3_ The Dunk 2d ago
I don't think that Mikal is better than Ju, but Mikal's archetype and role is more coveted than Julius.
-4
u/knicksfan764 Clyde Frazier 2d ago
I think that’s a roundabout way of saying Bridges is better.
The NBA offers a harsh reality. If you’re a high volume player but you’re not a superstar your fit can be tough sometimes. Randle is undoubtedly a better 1 on 1 scorer. He’s really talented.
But he doesn’t do it to the level of the superstar 1 on 1 scorers. And he doesn’t do the complimentary things as well (something I believe he can really improve).
In the current NBA, every team would rather have Bridges. He is more conducive to winning. He can score 20 a game, play off the ball, play in transition, play All-NBA level defense. That is a better than Randle. Basketball isn’t just who is better at getting a bucket.
Might be hard for some fans to admit because Randle is our guy and he’s awesome, All-Star two times!
But Bridges is the better player.
6
u/Sharp_Black Father Knickerbocker 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is a terrible take. I get that Mikal is good. But you guys are taking this way too far. 3&D guys are valuable, no question, but value doesn't equal better players. Julius by any metric is a WAAAY better player. Comparing Bridges to anyone else who regularly averages 25/10, 2x all-nba, 3x all-star, would be absurd. I don't understand why some of you ignore all the obvious numbers and facts when comparing Randle to Bridges. Cmon, let's be real. This isn't "hard to admit." There is just a pile of evidence to prove Randle is a better player and has been for years.
I've never seen Mikal Bridges drag a team to a 4th seed before. I've never seen Bridges impact winning at that level. I've never seen Mikal lead a team in points, rebounds, and assist, and a winning record. He couldn't even carry the offense on a 30-win team for an entire year. He lost his job as number 1 option to Cam Thomas. Bridges works for us because of fit. He's the perfect 3RD OPTION on this team. He spaces the floor for Brunson and Randle. He's a huge upgrade over Dante defensively. He gives us length. You put Randle on last years Nets team they make the playoffs. You can't tell me that Elfrid Payton and Alex Burks, and washed up Derrick Rose are way better than what the Nets had last year. Cmon, son. Stop lying to yourself, give Randle his respect.
→ More replies (9)5
u/YanniSwagger 2d ago
These people cannot understand that a 25/10/5 all nba power forward is a top nba player because they’re mad he gave them a thumbs down 4 years ago
5
→ More replies (1)2
u/starks3_ The Dunk 2d ago
I agree that most teams would rather have Bridges, but I also think that part of the equation that gets lopped off is how many 4s there are in the league that are "true" 4s compared to how many teams are trying to field smaller big men who can space the floor or larger 3&D wings, two archetypes that Ju's physicality/athleticism can roll over most nights. In a league of fastballs, you gotta worry about the knuckleballer or the guy who has that mean off-speed.
Bridges is a seamless fit on any team, but besides questions about Ju's role (as a connector with iHart gone, what he can do as a roll man, if he raises intensity on the boards/defense with the team surrounding him), I think that we're in a position to maximize him in a way we didn't hit last year.
0
u/knicksfan764 Clyde Frazier 2d ago
Yep I believe that. Julius is really good but he doesn’t have the same value as Mikal (a lot of that comes from defense). And I think if you were to ask Leon who he’d rather have the answer would be Bridges.
We’re not getting 5 1sts for Julius I’ll guarantee you that.
3
u/Lovejones722 2d ago
Mikal is great for what he does. His impact on the defensive end is nothing to sneeze about but he’s nowhere the play her is offensively. What Julius does offensively outweighs what Mikal does defensively.
Also the reason why the Nets got that many picks from us is because we are the cross town rivals. In this specific trade the Knicks tax was real. No other team was giving up that much for Mikal.
1
u/knicksfan764 Clyde Frazier 2d ago
Nowhere near is an exaggeration to me. As an individual halfcourt scorer, yes Randle is a much better player.
But Bridges does more on the court that you don’t see on the offensive end that makes the game easier for others. He is a better spot up shooter, he is better in transition. Not to mention their efficiency is roughly the same, despite Bridges being on a dogshit team where he was miscast as a #1.
Randle 100% a tougher matchup. The way he creates double teams is amazing.
Idk if that’s true about the trade. We definitely “overpaid” but it was on record that other teams looking to win were willing to give similar packages of multiple 1sts. Houston and Memphis in particular.
2
u/FreeOmari 2d ago
If you watched the nets last year, you would see that his defense suffered as he carried a larger offensive load. His usage jumped up like 10 percentage points when he went to Brooklyn. He should probably land in the middle with us as the third option behind JB and Randle. That’s probably the sweet spot for him. I want to see him back at the first team all defense level, while still being dangerous on the offensive end.
2
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
And his offensive efficiency suffered (43% Fg). Fans have no idea what it’s like to carry the burden of scoring out of doubles, facilitating and rebounding like Randle does. There’s only 3vother guys out there that have consistently done 20/10/5 over the past 4 years. And he makes guys like Brunson and DDV much more efficient shooters.
But Knicks’ fans focus on the negatives for reasons I can’t fully comprehend.
1
u/ygog45 2d ago
Not going to comment on who is better between Mikal and Randle but I agree with the fact that Mikal’s offensive bag is being really underrated in this sub. I don’t think that 26PPG stretch he had in the 22/23 season with the nets was a fluke
4
u/iamdanabnormal 2d ago
I don’t think that 26PPG stretch he had in the 22/23 season with the nets was a fluke
What about the full year he had last year?
7
u/ShieldHero85 The Bronx 2d ago
Julius was having a great year before the OG trade. After OG got here, he was even better.
IMO, there is no reason to think that he won’t continue that trend.
This team can beat anyone.
6
u/22pabloesco22 Wu Tang 2d ago
Julius is not simply a scorer. He’s also a 10 rebound a game forward who is a well above average passer.
People that focus in on a single player on this team, Julius or Brunson or anyone else, doesn’t quite understand what a well rounded deep team we have. Our wings will provide spacing for Julius to operate inside and if they collapse he’ll dish to the right open guy. He’s always been that player, just at one point he was forced to carry the O due to roster composition. I fully expect him to play within the flow of the game as Thibs always says. That means some nights he’ll go for 25 if not 35, some nights he might get 12. Same with Brunson. Take what is given to you and trust the others around you and this team will crack 60 wins. It’s that fucking good…
6
u/I-Like-The-Tuna-Here 2d ago
Ju is incredible at passing out of traffic. This is something I would never say if you asked me when he first was traded here. We also have the stats to prove it, all the starters shoot a better 3 Pt % with him cause of his gravity and ability to find the open man or the hockey assist.
5
u/drewcarey69 Sleeping Leon 2d ago
Jules is gonna feast. He’ll be able to let the game come to him in a way he never has been able to before. Floor will be more spread than ever and he’s gonna be a bulldozer getting downhill
12
u/Due_Culture_412 2d ago
Idk I’d like him to continue the play style that got him 2 all nbas and 3 all stars. The way this guy gets talked about you’d think he’s never had a good season in the nba.
11
u/Crypt7eeper 2d ago
People think JR is selfish because he played a lot of hero ball when he first came to New York. The thing is he did that because he was the only guy on the team back then. This past season Julius has demonstrated willingness to play to his strengths and help others flourish in their respective roles. I fully expect Julius to slot into this lineup perfectly and do everything he can to contribute to a successful season.
7
u/CTDubs0001 2d ago
yeah, this is an understated thing about Randle. Brunson has come in to this team and just exploded talent wise. Almost day 1 upon his arrival IT BECme Brunson's team, and no longer Julius'. Randle has demonstrated absolutely zero problem with not being th guy and eating other players flourish. I don't understand why people think he may be a problem with Bidges when he was the opposite of a problem with Brunson.
5
u/Crypt7eeper 2d ago
For whatever Randle’s faults may be, ego isn’t one of them. I believe he’ll do everything he can to win.
3
u/BadassRPMofo Bernard King 2d ago
I swear it's like people forgot how well he was playing before he got hurt.
4
u/blkhwk27 DOOM 2d ago
he’ll still have a huge role in the offense, we forget just how important he is with his ability to draw in defenses/doubles and make reads for cutters and shooters. his game will likely be similar to how it was before he went down, the difference is we have more room for poorer randle games and we enough firepower that we dont NEED him or jb to be with the bench like we used to
4
8
5
u/YanksJetsKnicks Clyde Frazier 2d ago
I actually think Mikal compliments him perfectly. Randle is the clear #2 shot creator, and Mikal is maybe the best player in the league when it comes to making corner 3's. Mikal can also spend some time with the 2nd unit, and spend a bit more time as a shot creator similar to RJ.
2
u/YanniSwagger 2d ago
Actually OG is the best I think and we have both lmao. Very excited for this team
3
u/attorneyatslaw 2d ago
I think everyone is going to have to sacrifice some shots with so many weapons around. This year needs to be about ball movement.
3
u/gods_green_earth_ Timbs 2d ago
I hope Julius can just be his All-NBA self. Getting buckets in the paint. Just bodying people. He should be getting 25ppg with like 8 rebounds. We need him to be in beast mode. Don’t forget who took us to the playoffs.
3
u/GreenQuisQuous 2d ago
I think this whole team trusts each other. Someone is feeling it,Brunson will get them the rock, and everyone will be okay with it.
3
u/beanie_mac Knicks Token 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think the addition of Mikal will increase Randle’s role on offense, and ultimately allow him to flourish more. A couple reasons why:
1) Playmaking. Whether you go by eye-test, his passing numbers, and team shooting splits w/ and w/o him on the floor…they all prove that Randle is arguably the best playmaker on the team. His ability to find perimeter shooters for open looks and use his gravity to his advantage to pass out of double teams is an instrumental piece to our offense. Brunson, OG, Donte, and Deuce all heavily rely on Randle to get them open shot opportunities…and their shooting splits with him on the court back that up. The addition of Mikal makes Randle’s facilitation skills even more important….as now we have 4 elite knockdown shooters (5 if you include Deuce) that will need help getting open catch & shoot opportunities. I fully believe in Randle’s ability to continue buy into this role as a “connector” of sorts…as he’s shown throughout his tenure as a Knick.
2) Scoring. Not only does the addition of Mikal improve our shooting, but having a tertiary-scorer like him that has more shot creation juice than OG as the 3rd option will only open up more 1 on 1 opportunities for Randle. Over the past two years, defenses consistently send doubles Randle’s way and forces him to kick it out to other shooters to make shots. Over the years, we’ve gradually gotten better perimeter shooting…but nothing like how we’re about to have with JB, DDV, OG, and Mikal. Now with 4 knock down shooters, it’s gonna be harder for defenses to send doubles on Randle…because that’s gonna be an easy 3 for someone else on the perimeter. Ultimately, I predict this is gonna result in Randle getting more 1 on 1 scoring opportunities….which is essentially an automatic bucket, as I personally don’t think there’s anyone in the league that can contain Randle 1v1 over an entire game. Giannis, Bam, Jimmy, Kawhi, AD, (and even OG, several times) have all gotten cooked by Randle in 1on1 matchups in the past. He’s simply too strong, quick, and crafty to be held down by just 1 person…hence why you see so many teams double him every chance they get.
So all in all, to answer your question….i think it’s a mix of both. The addition of Mikal will allow Randle to lean more into his facilitation bag, but at the same time…allow him to get more and better scoring opportunities via mid-range and in the paint. I honestly can’t wait.
2
u/starks3_ The Dunk 2d ago
The defensive matchup spread of Mitch/OG/Mikal is absolutely bonkers. We saw this team get more aggressive in passing lanes with DDV, Mitch's deflections in PNR defense, can't wait to see the OG/Bridges perimeter combo...help side defense is going to be the easiest it's been for him.
Should be the easiest time he's had getting to his spots and as long as Mitch is able to catch some of those dumpoffs, should be an easy career year for him and the team.
3
3
3
3
u/videsh Julius Randle 2d ago
He's literally been doing that since the RJ trade. We have space now. Gosh, how many fucking times did we watch Julius get double teamed and no one else fucking moved, cut, or slashed and he was forced to do something with it. Or the fact that no one else was willing to shoot so he had to jack up 3s.
3
u/EvenScientist7237 2d ago
If we’re not letting Julius create his own shot then what’s the point of him being in this team? Like he definitely needs to play within the flow of the game but he still needs to be aggressive
3
u/dgvertz 2d ago
Right. I don’t want Harrison Barnes, I want Julius Randle. Give him the ball at the top of the key or in the left elbow extended, let him isolate and go to work.
He’ll either get a good one-on-one shot which will almost always result in points or a foul, or he’ll draw help defenders leading to spot-up opportunities or easy dunks.
3
u/Swift_42690 2d ago
I really want to see bully ball Julius. He should camp out in the low post because he’s a big strong dude and has a mismatch against most opposing PFs. Force them to double him so he can kick out to shooters or lob to Mitch.
5
u/jar45 Mike and Clyde 2d ago
He was flourishing and playing the best basketball of his career before his shoulder got hurt. He wasn’t holding the ball for 15 seconds and was playing downhill bullying defenders. If (when) we get that Julius we’re gonna be dominant.
1
u/YanniSwagger 2d ago
Yup. People forget how unstoppable he looked once we got OG. Was scoring at will at the rim, lower turnovers since he had players good enough to be in the right spots, and rarely had to even take a double team. Randle with a single defender on him is one of the hardest players to guard in the league
2
u/sirk0ner 2d ago
I would add setting solid screens & emphasizing rolling to the basket more. The Brunson Randle Pick & Roll should be our bread & butter with Mikal OG in the corners and Mitch in the dunker spot.
2
u/jcsnyc 90s Knicks Logo 2d ago
Ju’s game totally changed last year from the primary ball handler outside of the 3 point line to a post machine. Operated his game more like Melo, getting isos in the mid range wing area… and he crushed it.
If anyone needs a reminder, Nets, Knicks… Ju with the outlet to JB who bounces a pass for a Ju dunk… it is amazing to watch.
2
u/QueAsc0 3 to the Dome 2d ago
I feel like he'll really shine when we go small with JB, Dvo/Hart, Mikal and OG. This is the best roster (and spacing) he'll ever have + a contract extension looming. I think 20/10/5 is automatic for him next season.
1
u/YanniSwagger 2d ago
It’s been automatic for him basically every season he’s been on the Knicks. I think he gets a bit more ppg with better efficiency. Cannot wait for the season
2
u/mattbrianjess 2d ago
Randle working off the ball and shooting a higher 3pt percentage is what unlocks the Knicks ceiling. If it’s 31% again the Knicks ceiling is not as high. But another 41% season? Now we cooking. 35-36% is the number I’am fingers crossed for.
Getting him easy looks moving toward the basket gets everyone else better shots and gets him going. I think it’s fair to expect more efficiency from him being surrounded by far more talent.
And it’s also a peak at the end of the season type of situation. No Hartenstein and adding Bridges is going to be an adjustment. First couple months I am happy to watch them adjust.
And I expect him to be a more active defender. Especially with OG and Bridges? Like when the jacked handsome guy at the gym does an extra set of cardio? Like fuck me I’ll do it too.
2
u/goknicks23 2d ago
Good players make it work, and I'm firmly convinced that Jules is a good player. Doesn't hurt that we actually saw Jules make it work as well. When OG came aboard, Randle adjusted his game. With IHart operating at the elbow, and OG another floor spacer, Randle was doing more of his damage inside. Better talent around him led to a little less usage, a little less 3's and more efficiency. Which is exactly what we're looking for. Those that actually watch the games remember watching Brunson's efficiency drop after Randle was hurt when his usage and scoring ballooned out of necessity. I'm am super excited for Randle to prove these doubters wrong.
2
u/Wesley2016 Melo Stare 2d ago
This is lowkey disrespectful, but I’ll just assume this is ignorance. Julius is obviously the second option offensively. No questions asked.
2
2
u/LearnedHowToDougie 2d ago
You’ve already seen what Randle has said and done last season and throughout his career. He does what’s asked of him and he doesn’t complain about his role. Jules doesn’t want to be walking the ball up the court with an entire defense planning on stopping him. He is not Melo and he doesn’t want to be him.
He has and will continue to feast on modern NBA stretch 4s, putting shoulders in their chests and making them think twice about trying to stop him. And when they slouch off his mid range and three ball make them pay.
2
u/ilikesocks16 2d ago
Hot take that might not be so hot: Randle's still the second best player on the team with Mikal on it. I hope "reduced role" just means less head-gone hero ball and a bit more trust in others so he doesn't have to force it. "Not Forcing It" Randle is All-NBA
4
u/Snuggle__Monster James Dolan Blues 2d ago
He was flourishing after that OG trade until he got hurt. He looked more dominant than I ever seen him.
This might sound like cope but I genuinely think he really would rather go down as being one of the guys that brought this franchise back as champions than anything else.
1
u/BadassRPMofo Bernard King 2d ago
No cope at all. He was absolutely playing his best ball during that stretch. The majority of OG's open looks from three came in assists from Jules.
2
4
u/cesarjulius 2d ago
both! some of his shots will go to jb and mikal, but that should mean higher efficiency. he could have his best season yet and drop to 16-20 ppg.
in other words, i think he’ll FLOURISH with a (slightly) minimized role.
7
u/AxhaICY KOQ 2d ago
It’s a contract year for him. He just saw what OG and IHart got paid, he’s not gonna take a minimized role lol
→ More replies (1)1
u/cesarjulius 2d ago
i don’t know man. maybe we have different ideas of what “minimized” means. he’d still start, play 34+ minutes, still the second option.
i’m talking about him taking 15 shots instead of 20
1
u/AxhaICY KOQ 2d ago
Yeah but he’s not gonna take 15 shots tho, that’s the point. He’s incentivized to pad his stats as much as he can to maximize his next contract
→ More replies (1)2
u/cesarjulius 2d ago
i think randle has become less about his own stats and more about team success in recent years, but you think a bit less of him. that’s fine. i just hope that you hope you’re wrong.
→ More replies (7)2
u/Professional-Way9343 2d ago
Yeah they all complement each other really well. May just take a minute to figure out the rhythm
1
u/Snapesunusedshampoo Obi Wan Kenobi 2d ago
His role will be minimized and he will be so damn happy about it. We are about to get the best season of Julius' career because not only is he on the best team he's ever played on, he is playing with the best point guard he's ever played with which will make the game easier for him.
During his career he had: rookie D'Angelo Russell/Lou Williams, D'Angelo Russell (full time), rookie Lonzo Ball, Elphrid Payton/Jrue Holiday, Elphrid Payton/D Rose(NYK year 1), Kemba Walker/D Rose/Alec Burks, Jaylen Brunson.
Lonzo and Rose are the best point guards he has played with, the corpse of Kemba Walker doesn't count. Lonzo was a rookie getting used to the NBA and Rose was well past his prime.
1
u/mikehulse29 90s Knicks Logo 2d ago
To be fair, I don’t think any of Julius’ issues are ever about his numbers or touches. He gets frustrated when he performs poorly because he wants to win. Dude played on a lot of hot garbage teams before getting to NY. He doesn’t give a fuck if his individual stats are down if that means wins.
1
u/Classic_Sure 2d ago
Mikal's not gonna take any shots away from Julius. He's basically a higher usage Donte
1
1
u/dedbeats Larry Johnson 2d ago
He’s going to need to further improve his decision making. With OG and Mikal at the corners as soon as the double hits that ball needs to be out of his hands. He was improving at this last year before the injury. He needs to take it to another level this year. If the ball sticks in his hands and he spins into traffic like old Julius, he won’t be on this team past the offseason or even the deadline.
1
u/HipnotiK1 New York Token 2d ago
we will play through randle a lot especially with the loss of Ihart.
I imagine we will stagger Randle/Brunson some also to try to always have one of them out there.
1
u/iamdanabnormal 2d ago
No, because aside from Brunson, Randle is the only guy on the team who can consistently create his own shot.
1
1
u/Beautiful-Height3103 2d ago
Julius will be fine, every player may have to share the wealth. What I do see is Julius getting more minutes at the 5 depending on the team.
1
u/So-_-It-_-Goes 8 2d ago
With iHart leaving we may see more OG/Randle and the 4/5 so he is gonna have more responsibility with that
1
u/No-Abbreviations4480 2d ago
i believe he will flourish. i also believe he will do some of the things hartenstein was doing on offense (settign picks, passing, offensive rebounding) but ofcoruse wtihout the size. he will buy in. the team did well without him so he knows he needs to step up and fit in.
1
1
u/FlockingPigeons 16-bit Melo 2d ago
I think Randle has the best opportunity since being in NY to have his best season to date. And it's simple, we saw it once OG got here, the spacing on the floor will be incredible. Randle in January averaged, 25, 8 and 5 on 48% and 37% from the field. There will be more driving lanes for him to attack and get to the line. Some tweaks would be to only take efficient 3's and continuing to develop his vision when driving to find these shooters.
1
u/Ok-Judge9219 2d ago
If the Knicks even make the finals 30 better be in the banners. None of this would’ve happened without him
1
u/NervousAd3202 Toronto Raptors 2d ago
I haven’t been a big Randle guy from what I’ve seen but I do think it’s worth it to give this core a shot first.
He hasn’t been good in the playoffs but maybe he would’ve been better last year, getting to play with OG rather than RJ.
OG’s skill set is ideal for a 3rd option with his slashing/ off ball shooting, let alone adding Mikal too. Those additions should take a lot of pressure off Julius.
1
u/LeBarnacle 3 to the Dome 2d ago
Even last year when his shooting was bad I thought he working well as a facilitator and connector on offense. He's going to have more spacing for his drives now and will also have opportunities to attack close outs. Iso ball when we are flat should be minimized with the variety of options on the floor.
1
u/GlassJoseph 2d ago
All he has to do is what he did before his injury last year. I think the only thing that changes is the amount of rest he gets over the course of the season. We don't need him at 40 minutes because we can't win without him or Brunson on the court at all times.
1
u/ted_the_ked1 Clyde So Fly 2d ago
He could also run with bench and do a lot of damage in a small ball line up with Duce-Donte-hart-og-him.
Will be and insane second unit that stretches teams out bc 1-5 can shoot and shoot it even better than 1-5 on the warriors could with green
1
u/IsaacClarke47 2d ago
Knicks have such flexibility with their roster that I can see him coming off the bench and bullying the oppositions second unit. He definitely does his best when he gets to play with the ball in his hands, and I’d bet a lot of second units would be unequipped to deal with his combo of strength and skill.
Super excited for this season.
1
u/IlikePogz 2d ago
They need him to step up in terms of playmaking and running the two man action with brunson. Brunson ihart actions were their bread and butter.
1
u/ben_twiener Julius Randle 2d ago
Now that iHart is gone, I hope that he can fill that role offensively of creating from the post and working with JB in the pick and roll. Also if he can shoot better from 30% from 3 and lock in on D, that’d be a game changer.
1
u/ChurrosPotatoes 2d ago
No. He may need to play big more often than not. Plus, revenge tour for all the slander
1
u/Jimm120 2d ago
I don't know if you noticed, but both Brunson and Randle scored and shot a TON more after the quickley/rj trade cause they needed to shoot that much.
a team with Brunson and randle needs them to shoot a lot more. A team with Brunson, Mikal, and Randle doesn't shoot as much.
IMO, it'll go back to more or less the distribution we used to have with the brunson/randle/rj/quickley core....
-Brunson will shoot more
-Randle and Mikal will take over the shooting slots that RJ and our #2 used to have (17shots and 15 shots a game)
-OG will take over Quickley's shots of 6 shots to 15 shots per game.
1
u/MarcTheShark99 2d ago
I think we still play through him but I imagine he’s gonna lose more attempts. Maybe become an 18ppg guy when we’re all healthy.
1
u/LanEvo7685 2d ago
Nothing concrete to say but I am hoping more talents mean smaller load for everyone in the regular season, more juice left in the playoffs. For Randle specifically hope this will help him when his iso skills will be needed more in playoffs.
1
u/firstbreathOOC Clyde Frazier 2d ago
I think he had a pretty big role pre-injury and that will continue this year. Yeah we gained depth at wing but we lost it at Center. Jericho Sims is not getting as many looks as iHart. So Jules will pick up some of those shots and minutes.
1
u/Tradeandworkout 2d ago
Randle showed us the next version of him in January. He's a fucking beast. Thibs screens until there is a mismatch, and very few players can stop Randle driving. If the center clears out properly, Randle will have a few triple doubles this season, dominating the mismatch or kicking out to open shooters. His scoring may be a little diluted with the talent we have, but even when hes essentially the point with the second unit and Brunson getting his minutes resting, he will light it up.
Expect an All-Star berth and at least 3rd team All-NBA. Dude is a beast, and with these shooters and Thibs' screen until you have a mismatch offense, watch the fuck out.
1
1
u/NutsyFlamingo 2d ago
I hate to say it, but this roster is built to absorb injuries (which is a good thing)… minutes / roles will sort themselves over a season +
1
u/BadassRPMofo Bernard King 2d ago
His role will be exactly what it was during that January stretch......score, rebound, facilitate. The difference being Mikal will be on the floor to start instead of DDV. There were no spacing issues then and I don't anticipate there being any spacing issues next season.
1
u/severinks 2d ago
THe role for Julius will be the same exact role that he had last year after OG got here. Bridges is not looking to be a scorer and will take no more shots than Donte did(a lot less threes actually) and be more like the player that he was on the Duns
1
u/xxjohnnyrocketzxx 2d ago edited 2d ago
Having even more shooters than last year is going to make him unstoppable. People harp on him for being the only option on a team with 0 shooters against the hawks, but we saw the monster he was last year. Mikail, OG, JB, Deuce and Donte as snipers makes that double team packing the paint strategy impossible. Its even better for playoff ball because they all have a servicable midranger too. The biggest thing is a healthy Ju can playmake and let JB get away with resting
1
u/Open-Contact-8285 2d ago
It's not "minimize" its more like if he took 5-10 bail out / pressure release shots per game last year we'll only need him to take 3-5 next year. he'll still get his featured look and still be the guy when Brunson is out. His volume may decline marginally say to 22ppg but his efficiency should go up because he'll have the exact same amount of "good" looks. His role will be similar to Porzingis on the Celtics last year.
None of DD, OG, Mikal, or Hart really create on their own all that well. They attack close outs, hit open shots and maybe get a few featured looks each per game but for the most part they're guys who score off hockey assists. Randle & Brunson will still be the ones who get the ball early in the shot clock and we run plays to get them the ball in their best spots.
1
u/tintheslope 2d ago
I thought he was starting to do this, but then he tried to posterize Jaquez Jr up 20pts in the 4th quarter with Brunson open for 3 in the corner.
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
He had the better play. Natural and 1. Fluke injury doesn’t change that.
And how many times does Brunson take the shot instead of passing to a guy outside the arc? You have a problem with that too?
1
u/tintheslope 1d ago
Not when they are facing we will injure you Miami.
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
That's a tough call. If you let Miami turn you into a jump shooting team, they will win. But I can see your point given the Knicks' lead.
What I don't agree is that think it suggests anything negative about Randle, though. Bully Randle is important to this team, and you don't want players being tentative when they are on the court.
1
u/RoguePossum56 2d ago
Totally disagree with one part of your synopsis:
It is an odd year, Randle will be ALL NBA.
1
u/MrICopyYoSht Nova Boys 2d ago
Randle will flourish. He draws defenses whenever he's in iso, and if he can't find a good shot angle or see an open man, he'll just pass the ball for the easy 3 point shot. We just added another shooting wing to this roster in Mikal, he has so many options now to pass the ball to get a good shot, and if opposing teams decide not to double team him, he'll just punish and bully them with his superior strength.
1
u/yungincome21 Patrick Ewing's Knee Pads 2d ago
Julius is going to feast just how he was before he got injured
1
u/patrickthunnus 2d ago
I think it frees Ju to be more aggressive on offense, create shots for himself and teammates
1
u/Training101 90s Knicks 2d ago
Idgaf what his role is. As long as it fits the team getting Ws. He's bound to flourish as long as he let's the game flow
1
u/WorkersUnited111 2d ago
I think Randle constantly gets a bad rap. Saying he's selfish, plays hero ball or doesn't perform in the playoffs.
1. He's not selfish. He has consistently taken less money from the Knicks to help out.
2. He had to play hero ball because no one else was talented enough to get their own shot.
3. Teams just keyed in on him to shut him down in the playoffs and we had no one else to produce.
He's an all star but not a superstar. That's all it is.
He played really well last year with Brunson. He's gonna feast now.
1
u/yrogerg123 Brunson 2d ago
I think he will play a ton of time at the 5 in smallball lineups. DDV and Hart are better than all of our backup centers by far. If Precious can play 5 then Randle can absolutely play 5 too and the difference on offense is ridiculous.
1
u/GoldenClipper 2d ago
Randle haters. Randle will still get shots, his avg may go down some but he'll get 20pts 10rbs and 5 assists
1
u/sowavy612 Julius Randle 2d ago
Yall act like big Ju ain’t a team player yall need to respect my mans!
1
1
u/Headrick770 2d ago
If Julius Randle plays erratically, doesn't pass, dribble, dribble, dribble, bad defensive effort or shouts at players HE WILL GET SHIPPED But I feel he may realize he is the key to a championship and also wants that next big contract
1
u/Vikingpride06 2d ago
He’s still probably the second scoring option on this team. He’ll get numbers like 20-10. The key will be to not feel the need to force. He needs to get the ball and make quick, aggressive, but composed decisions. He’ll have multiple guys around him who can shoot to space the floor and can move without the ball. So there will be a lot of opportunities to get some easy assists or some easy one on one baskets with a dribble or two. We don’t need multiple isos where he’s probing or dribbling the air out of the ball.
I think he’ll do that. We saw a lot of it before his injury.
1
1
u/Honest-Yesterday-675 2d ago
With more shooting Randle should play in the paint. Last year he started deliberately backing guys down and attacking the rim and I think the idea was to get shots that have the value of 3 pointers.
Julius could contribute to winning basketball. His defense could be better and he tends to make mistakes in bunches.
1
u/Puzzle_Dad718 Nova Boys 2d ago
I think his role diminishes slightly due to Mikal being there, and that’s not a bad thing
1
1
u/Mediocre-Two-1444 1d ago
I think Randle doesn't like having all the attention on him and will actually want to be more of a role player and will thrive. I think he not in it for the stats and just lives ball
1
1
u/Gator1508 1d ago
My thought is that Randle will ultimately be shipped out before he signs another contract. Possibly by mid season if a scenario arises where the Knicks can get a younger, longer PF/C type player in return.
1
u/Okieant33 Mase 1d ago
Do mfs really have shitty memory like this? You mean play like he was before he got hurt? Tf?
1
u/ChampHarrison688 JR Celebration 7h ago
Truthfully Randle is our best player some of you just don’t want to admit it
1
u/zetiano 2d ago
I think Julius role being minimized is good for him and this team. He's been a volume scorer at mediocre efficiencies for most of his time here. Lower volume but higher efficiency would be a win for us.
1
u/erasuli 2d ago
It would be a win for us, but will he accept a reduced role? Also, reducing his role doesn’t mean his efficiency will definitely go up. He’d have to hit his open 3’s, be more efficient at the rim, and improve his shot selection/decision making.
We’ve seen players struggle playing a reduced role.
2
u/BadassRPMofo Bernard King 2d ago
It's not a reduced role, it's just a different role than the one he had pre-Brunson. I swear it's te no one watched the last year plus. He handled the ball a lot less, but was still the secondary facilitator.
1
u/zetiano 2d ago
He was more efficient with the Pelicans and still scored 21 points a game despite only averaging 30 minutes a game. There's no reason for him to be taking 5+ 3s a game when we have so many high end 3 point shooters unless he finds his shooting stroke like he did when he shot 41% for the season his second year here.
1
u/Pablo_Undercover 2d ago
Mikal isn’t a real 20ppg guy imo (this isn’t a bad thing) he was hitting that in Brooklyn cause there wasn’t much else going on but that’s not who he is as a player. I’d imagine Jalen will average god knows how many ppg, easily 28+, OG and Mikal will both have 15-18 and Randle will get his 20. Either way the most special thing about this team is we have 7 guys who could go for 20 points on any given night and that’s huge for us
1
u/22pabloesco22 Wu Tang 2d ago
On a team as deep as this, it’s it about this guy is a 20 pt guy, this guy isn’t. It’s about playing within the flow of the game, taking what D gives you. That means some nights Ju goes off, some nights brushes might, OG, whatever. Team bball.
0
u/MelKijani 2d ago
I don’t believe Julius thrives with fewer touches.
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
And I don’t think he gets fewer touches. Team runs through him and Jalen. His gravity will get lots of open shots for other guys, but likely not less touches for him.
1
u/MelKijani 1d ago
it’s just a rule of basketball
more offensive talent , touches diversify
also i’m pretty sure in Julius’ absence Brunson leveled up , it’s not a 1 and 1a situation right now
more like the Jackson 5 and Jalen’s Michael , Julius is more like Jermaine .
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
Not quite the same. Randle and Brunson jointly run that office. Brunson benefits greatly from Randle as the initiator/facilitator. So do the others. More offensive talent doesn’t necessarily change that. It may mean that they just get more open shots.
1
u/MelKijani 1d ago
it’s pretty much a fact Jalen was much better in Julius’ absence so it’s hard to say Jalen benefitted greatly from him .
His game benefitted from Hartenstein more .
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
It’s not pretty much a fact. His efficiency suffered and the offense was not as efficient. But your feelings about Randle as pretty much polar opposite of mine so I’m not surprised that this is your take.
1
u/MelKijani 1d ago
i mean now was Jalen Brunson considered a all nba 1st team or 2nd team lock when Julius went down in January ?
i would say no as would most people , they were still questioning if he should be an all star , most were on the side he should be but it was questioned.
but he was by the end of the season considered to just miss making the all nba 1st team and he had a decent amount people saying he should have made it .
also avg.32.3 in the playoffs
so yes Jalen was better and everyone saw so except for maybe you
i get that you want to make things personal , but the simple truth is sometimes the game passes people by and sometimes it’s just false hope on a guy who just isn’t good enough to take you where you want to go .
bigs who don’t defend or are extremely efficient don’t win , i can only think of one exception and that player spaced the floor and Julius doesn’t do that either .
i’m not trying to shit on Julius , i just don’t see a pathway to winning with him , i honestly wish i did , but everything about him screams his emotions and his ego will prevent him from sacrificing when it’s needed most .
you want to have faith in a guy who hasn’t won , doesn’t have the profile of a guy who wins and has the reputation of a guy who isn’t clutch and possibly even a playoff choker . Fine. But i learned my lesson.
i don’t need to wait another 5 years for you to see it .
1
u/Top-Lettuce3956 1d ago
Whatever. Jalen excelled, but his efficiency suffered and it’s not sustainable to have him be the only creator/facilitator.
And it’s not personal for me with you. But it does appear to be personal with you and Randle because these comments didn’t start after Randle went down. You’ve been consistent in addition by subtraction.
→ More replies (18)
0
u/YankeesKnicksJets 2d ago
It’s more likely that Bridges and OG will take that role than that Randle will. It’s not about attitude or selfishness. Randle is a ball dominant player - it’s how he gets into a rhythm, plays his best, and it’s who he is. I’m not sure he can just reduce his usage and still be himself, but more efficient. And Bridges and OG have already proven to be good players who don’t need the ball as much.
280
u/WarlordFruitSmoothie 2d ago edited 2d ago
Honestly, i believe Julius understands that this Knicks team is special. I believe he will buy in, and the Knicks will have another 50 win and make the NBA finals this year.