Julius Randle, New York Knicks. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2: Defensive consistency
Julius Randle isn’t a bad defender, but an inconsistent one. He has surprisingly quick feet, able to use his 6’8″, 250-pound frame to stick with shiftier wings while also having a strong base to not get easily moved by opposing forwards attempting to post him up.
The only problem is that his engagement on the less glamorous end of the court fluctuates on a game-to-game basis.
“Stocks” are a defensive statistic that combines steals and blocks. Randle averaged 0.9 stocks last year, the lowest mark of his eight-year career.
He also ranked seventh out of the Knicks’ nine rotation players with 1.3 deflections per game, an alarmingly low number considering the fact that he led the team in minutes each night. Not only was Randle lacking the timing to disrupt passing lanes, but he was also slow to capitalize on loose balls and potentially generate extra transition possessions.
It’s especially frustrating because it’s less of a talent issue and more of an effort one. He had several excellent defensive games last season, able to hold his own against some of the best offensive players in the association.
It’s fair to wonder if the immense load of generating the entire team’s offense sapped his defensive tenacity, but that shouldn’t be an excuse anymore with Brunson in the mix. It’s also worth noting that he’s squarely in the middle of his athletic prime, the years when most NBA players are at their peak in terms of ball-stopping prowess.
With Brunson potentially transitioning to the Knicks’ number-one scoring option next season, there’s hope that Randle can exert more energy defensively with a lighter offensive role.
maintain his current level of production</a> while also reaching these three goals next season.</p>
<h2>3 goals for Knicks forward Julius Randle to reach in 2023-24 season</h2>
<h3>3: Limit isolation touches</h3>
<p>Randle’s ability to produce quality offensive possessions by going one-on-one has fluctuated in recent years. He’s a capable scorer in that setting, finishing through contact on his bruising drives to the rim while incorporating his new pull-up three to punish defenders who give him too much room.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIG SHOT from Randle to close out Q3 🔥🔥 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://t.co/o4QHrvlwYo">pic.twitter.com/o4QHrvlwYo
<p>— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1632569882280591360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>However, merely being a capable isolation scorer isn’t good enough to justify his enormous volume. Randle had the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/isolation?CF=GP*G*30&dir=D&sort=POSS_PCT%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">seventh-highest isolation frequency</a> in the NBA last season, with a myriad of superstars such as Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid ranking ahead of him.</p>
<p>Randle’s turnover frequency of 12.9% in isolation was the worst mark among the top 20 iso players in the league. He would often get stripped on post-up attempts, leading to fastbreak points for opponents.</p>
<p>His isolation offense was sorely needed back in 2020-21 during his breakout season, as the Knicks didn’t have much shot creation in the rotation outside of RJ Barrett in his sophomore year, Immanuel Quickley in his rookie season, and 35 games of Derrick Rose.</p>
<p>Now looking toward 2023-24, New York has a franchise point guard in Jalen Brunson, a do-it-all playmaking wing in Josh Hart, and expected developmental leaps from Barrett and Quickley.</p>
<p>It isn’t a requirement for Randle to rank amongst the top ten in isolation possessions anymore, and it would help him improve his efficiency while simultaneously cutting down on turnovers by limiting that part of his game.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Improvement on the other end of the court </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_147506" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-147506" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1460121335-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1460121335-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1460121335-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1460121335-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1460121335-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Julius Randle, New York Knicks. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h3>2: Defensive consistency</h3>
<p>Julius Randle isn’t a bad defender, but an inconsistent one. He has surprisingly quick feet, able to use his 6’8″, 250-pound frame to stick with shiftier wings while also having a strong base to not get easily moved by opposing forwards attempting to post him up.</p>
<p>The only problem is that his engagement on the less glamorous end of the court fluctuates on a game-to-game basis.</p>
<p>“Stocks” are a defensive statistic that combines steals and blocks. Randle averaged 0.9 stocks last year, the lowest mark of his eight-year career.</p>
<p>He also ranked seventh out of the Knicks’ nine rotation players with <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle?CF=G*GE*20&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&TeamID=1610612752&dir=D&sort=DEFLECTIONS%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">1.3 deflections per game,</a> an alarmingly low number considering the fact that he led the team in minutes each night. Not only was Randle lacking the timing to disrupt passing lanes, but he was also slow to capitalize on loose balls and potentially generate extra transition possessions.</p>
<p>It’s especially frustrating because it’s less of a talent issue and more of an effort one. He had several excellent defensive games last season, able to hold his own against some of the best offensive players in the association.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LOCK EM DOWN 🔒<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://twitter.com/J30_RANDLE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@J30_RANDLE x <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://twitter.com/Ipjh55?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@Ipjh55 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://t.co/L5pWwYeCi4">pic.twitter.com/L5pWwYeCi4
<p>— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1599104078071488513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>December 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>It’s fair to wonder if the immense load of generating the entire team’s offense sapped his defensive tenacity, but that shouldn’t be an excuse anymore with Brunson in the mix. It’s also worth noting that he’s squarely in the middle of his athletic prime, the years when most NBA players are at their peak in terms of ball-stopping prowess.</p>
<p>With Brunson potentially transitioning to the Knicks’ number-one scoring option next season, there’s hope that Randle can exert more energy defensively with a lighter offensive role.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Vanquishing postseason demons </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_147521" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-147521" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1488017808-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488017808-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488017808-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488017808-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488017808-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Julius Randle, New York Knicks. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h3>1: Overcome playoff struggles</h3>
<p>It’s no secret that Julius Randle has floundered under the bright lights of postseason basketball. In four total years as a Knick, he’s averaged 22.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 45% from the field and 34% from three in the regular season.</p>
<p>In his two playoff appearances for New York, he’s put up 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while hitting a mere 34% of his shots and 28% of his threes.</p>
<p>It’s worth mentioning that Randle suffered an ankle sprain a few weeks before the postseason that caused his status for Game 1 against the Cavaliers to be in doubt. He <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/06/08/how-much-did-julius-randle-ankle-factor-knicks-playoff-woes/">re-aggravated the injury</a> in Game 5 and was forced to miss the Knicks’ opening contest of the second round against the Heat.</p>
<p>He performed admirably on defense in the first-round series, helping hold Cleveland’s rising star Evan Mobley to single-digit scoring totals after he averaged over 16 points per game in the regular season.</p>
<p>Randle also did his part on the glass, playing a large role in the rebounding disparity that helped the Knicks bully the Cavaliers to produce second and third scoring chances.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another offensive board for the Knicks in the closing moments. Bodied by Julius Randle. Evan Mobley needs to get in the weight room. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://t.co/aoMt1qn8JG">https://t.co/aoMt1qn8JG <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://t.co/AhegqN9RPW">pic.twitter.com/AhegqN9RPW
<p>— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1647399028160888833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 16, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>Suffice it to say, all hope of the former top-ten pick developing into an acceptable postseason contributor isn’t lost.</p>
<p>There are several ways for him to positively impact the game when his shot isn’t falling; he needs to tap into it more often to become even deadlier on the nights when he’s hitting a high number of contested shots.</p>
<p>If Randle can decrease his isolation frequency, stay locked in on defense, and finally carry his regular season success into the playoffs, then fans should expect 2023-24 to be the best year of New York Knicks basketball since the 90s.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="2Lgz5IYVs1"><p><a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/03/20/9-players-new-york-knicks-gave-up-on-way-too-soon/">9 Players the New York Knicks gave up on way too soon</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="“9 Players the New York Knicks gave up on way too soon” — Daily Knicks" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/08/23/3-goals-knicks-fans-love-julius-randle-achieve-2023-24/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/03/20/9-players-new-york-knicks-gave-up-on-way-too-soon/embed/#?secret=669n4awy2H#?secret=2Lgz5IYVs1" data-secret="2Lgz5IYVs1" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div><!—pageview_candidate—>">
