Julius Randle talks Knicks future, his growth in New York
Knicks forward Julius Randle reacts after a three-pointer in the third quarter during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on May 10. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
When the Knicks’ season came to an end in Miami last month, Julius Randle had little to say, leaving in frustration and disappointment after the second-round playoff loss. And the team was silent when he underwent an arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left ankle shortly after it ended.
But Randle sat down with Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George, appearing on his “Podcast P with Paul George,” and spoke for nearly two hours about his rehab process, his basketball path from childhood and, maybe most important, his belief that the Knicks are not far off from competing for a championship.
Randle, with his left ankle still encased in a cast, was asked his takeaway from the Knicks’ season after they were knocked out by Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I’ll have to say [it] just shows you like how balanced the league is. Right?” Randle said. “To where we realize, man, just keep getting better. We’re not that far off. That’s motivating for me in a sense, because in my mind, I’m like, how can I be the best version of myself to help the team win? So I go into the offseason, you know, you dissect that. But it’s everybody. We’ve got a great mixture of talent. We’ve got young dudes. We’ve got guys who are going into their prime. So we’ve got a great mixture of guys.”
It might be an optimistic take considering the Knicks won a playoff series for the first time in 10 years, a long way from contending for a title. Not only did Miami knock them out of the playoffs, but the Knicks are still looking up at Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia, with other teams improving.
The Knicks currently don’t have a pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft and no cap space for a major signing, and there are few upgrades available in the trade market. So the first improvement must come internally, and that starts with Randle getting healthy after two ankle sprains limited him in the playoffs.
“As an individual, I’m all about efficiency,” Randle said. “So for me, it’s efficiency. I take examples. Like I look at [Paul George] or I look at a guy like for instance, Jimmy [Butler]. Jimmy, for me, is a great example of somebody who continues to get better. How does Jimmy go from, you know, being a 46% shooter to, what 53, 54%. More efficient, less shots, whatever it is.”
What may have been the most unlikely revelation was Randle enthusiastically talking about his experience in New York — from learning from his clashes with Madison Square Garden fans two seasons ago to his interactions on the streets of Manhattan.
“When I got to New York, I’d say first, first thing first, like 101, if you want like a lesson, don’t, don’t do thumbs-down,” Randle said, referring to his gesture at the Garden fans two seasons ago. “Like, I did that. That didn’t work out. Maybe that was my immaturity. But yeah, don’t, don’t do that.
“But I honestly love it because it’s made me the player I am today. It pushes me. It all depends on how you look at it. But it can be tough for some people. And it’s been tough for me.
“It’s been tough for my family. It’s hard. The hardest thing for me is my family. Right? Like, you know the Garden is a different animal. So it’s the hardest thing for me is my family and my sons, both of my sons. But Ky in particular, because he’s older. So that’s the toughest thing. But I love it, man, because it’s taught me so much more about myself. And as a player, figuring out what really matters, what doesn’t. It taught me a lot about who I am as a human . . . But that [stuff] will age you.”
While he has been rehabilitating in Los Angeles and maintains a Dallas home, Randle moved his family to Manhattan last year, and the reaction surprised even him.
“I think that’s honestly the craziest thing because if you look at it from a media perspective, you’d be like, damn, it’s hard being there . . . But this year, our family [decided] let’s move to the city. And so I go on walks all the time, like around the city or out or whatever it is. And it’s so much love, bro. Like the actual fans’ interaction, like face-to-face, is crazy how much love it is. They’re super and we ain’t won [anything], bro. We got to the second round and they’re so appreciative.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
