Tom Thibodeau happy with the way Julius Randle is playing

GREENBURGH, N.Y — Tom Thibodeau disagreed with the premise of the question.

Essentially, the Knicks' coach was asked if he is concerned that Julius Randle has been too deferential to teammates at times this season, that perhaps the power forward has not been as aggressive in demanding and commanding the ball.

Serving as defense counsel, Thibodeau said Randle’s value cannot solely be measured by points scored. Rather, he argued, study the impact he makes in all facets of the game.

“He's done a lot of good things for us, and so we need him to play unselfishly and do all the things that he brings to our team,” Thibodeau said after Wednesday’s practice at the MSG Training Facility.  “So sometimes it's his passing, scoring, shooting, rebounding, defense, whatever it might be helping the team function well, and I think our starters are, each night it’s someone different. And sometimes that's the game. Like if they're double-teaming you, then trust the pass, make plays for your teammates.

"I like that he's helped us play a lot faster. I think that's important for us.  I think we're top 10 in fast-break points. We're top five in points in the paint. And he's a big part of that, and getting to the free-throw line, same thing. We're top five now in free-throw attempts.”

Entering Friday night’s game at the Garden against Portland, Randle is averaging 20.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 32.7 minutes per game. He leads the team in rebounds,  is tied with Jalen Brunson for the team lead in points per game, is second in minutes behind RJ Barrett and ranks third in assists. 

“I think that's important to put the team first, and I think he's done that,” said Thibodeau, who added that on-court personnel additions and subtractions from year to year play a factor in how a player performs.

In this case, the free-agent signing of Brunson has led to Randle playing off the ball, whereas in his 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, the offense ran through him.

“It’s basketball, man,” Randle said, when asked about adjusting away from being ball-dominant. “It’s as simple as that. It’s basketball.”

And there have been some benefits. With Brunson serving as the primary ballhandler, Randle has been able to get to scoring areas on the court more efficiently, which has led to more efficient offense for him and the Knicks. According to NBA.com, Randle is shooting 66.3% (61-for-92) from five feet and in and 54.2% (13-for-24) from 10 to 14 feet.

More telling is that he has taken only 11 shots between 15 and 19 feet. He is putting himself in position to score more easily.

“Try and make efficient shots, keep the flow of the offense going,” Randle said in response to a question about his decision-making process about when and where to shoot. “It’s the flow of our offense. Break it down, see more, especially in my position, where shots are coming from [and being] responsible for getting good shots . . . [Figure] out what spots for most efficient shots.”