Tag: julius randle

Julius Randle wins 2020-21 NBA Most Improved Player award

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle has been named the 2020-21 NBA Most Improved Player.

A first-time NBA All-Star selection in his seventh season, Randle becomes the first player to win the NBA Most Improved Player Award with New York. The annual award, which was first presented in the 1985-86 season, is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons.

Randle received 98 first-place votes and earned 493 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant received the other two first-place votes and finished in second place with 140 points. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. finished in third place with 138 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

In his second season with the Knicks, Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in an NBA-high 37.6 minutes in 71 games. He set career highs for averages in points and assists and matched his career high in rebounds, ranking in the top 20 in the NBA in all three categories. The 6-9 Randle is the sixth player in NBA history to average at least 24.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season, joining Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić (who also did it this season), Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

Randle made a career-high 160 three-pointers in 2020-21, eight fewer than his total for the previous five seasons combined (168). He shot 40.1 percent from three-point range, well above his career mark of 29.5 percent entering the season. Randle also shot a career-high 81.1 percent from the free throw line.

Selected as a reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Randle tied for eighth in the league in double-doubles with 41 and tied for seventh in triple-doubles with six. Randle was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for April and the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 17.

Behind Randle, the Knicks (41-31) finish tied for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. New York made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Randle, 26, signed with the Knicks as a free agent on July 9, 2019. Before joining New York, he played his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and one season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Randle entered this season with career averages of 16.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Knicks beat Clippers, remain 4th in East

The Knicks have exceeded expectations all season long, and the trend continued today in Los Angeles. Via the New York Post:

The Knicks usually struggle when Julius Randle struggles. But not when Derrick Rose plays like an MVP — and not when they get 3-point marksmanship from Reggie Bullock.

In the final regular-season home game for the Clippers, the Knicks spoiled the Sunday-matinee party with a resounding and sensational 106-100 victory before 2,578 relatively passive fans at Staples Center.

And now it might be time for Tom Thibodeau to look into making a starting-point guard change, finally.

Coming off the bench for a struggling Elfrid Payton, Rose carried the Knicks (38-30) on his shoulders with an MVP-type first half. Rose finished with 25 points and eight assists in 31 minutes.

Reggie Bullock, once a Clippers’ draft pick, poured in 24 points, making 5 of 11 3-pointers. Julius Randle made three big baskets down the stretch, but finished with just 14 points on 7 of 19 shooting with four turnovers. He also had 13 rebounds.

Via the New York Daily News:

With an impressive 106-100 road victory against the stacked Clippers, New York, currently fourth in the East, moved three games ahead of the seventh-seeded Celtics with four to play.

The Knicks (38-30) only need to finish in the top six to avoid a play-in game, and their magic number is 2. In other words, the franchise’s first playoff berth in eight years could be clinched as soon as Tuesday with a victory over the Lakers and a Celtics defeat to the Heat.

“That would be big,” Derrick Rose said. “But at the same time, (Tom Thibodeau) always talks about going through the finish line. We have to do our jobs to make sure we’re sharp and have a keen type of focus.”

The Knicks are 38-30 this season, which is the best 4th record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Randle at 24.1 points per game, RJ Barrett at 17.7 ppg, and Rose at 14.4 ppg.

One game behind the Knicks in a tight East race are the Hawks and Heat.

The Knicks are on a six-game winning streak

The Knicks beat the Pelicans 122-112 in overtime Sunday. Via New York Newsday:

Derrick Rose, who finished the game with 23 points and five assists, took over at the end of regulation to push the Knicks to the win. With his team trailing by six points with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter, Rose hit a three-pointer, found a wide-open Reggie Bullock for the game-tying three and then blocked what would have been a game-winning 17-footer by Eric Bledsoe at the buzzer.

Rose then scored the first bucket in overtime and the Knicks went on to outscore the Pelicans 19-9 in the overtime period.

In the win, Julius Randle had 33 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals, D-Rose had his 23, RJ Barrett scored 18, while Reggie Bullock added 15.

In the loss, Zion Williamson had 34 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Eric Bledsoe scored 22 with 4 assists, and Brandon Ingram had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Knicks expected to keep Julius Randle, RJ Barrett

The current Knicks core, which the team presumably intends to keep around, is clear. Via the New York Newsday:

Tom Thibodeau has raised the value of some players that the Knicks might have considered trade bait not long ago, impressively enough that it’s hard to imagine any deal that would include Julius Randle or RJ Barrett. And with those two off the table, the Knicks best assets are a surplus of draft picks, salary cap space to absorb an unwanted contract and a handful of useful veterans and still young enough to be valued players who have yet to find their place. Austin Rivers, with no role right now and a cap-friendly contract, and Frank Ntilikina, with free agency looming and a pricey cap hold, are the most likely Knicks to move on.

The Knicks are 22-22 this season, which ties them with the Heat and Hornets for the 5th best record in the Eastern conference.

Randle is averaging 23.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season, while Barrett is putting up 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists. No one else on the team is scoring as much as 13 ppg.

In Knicks win over Pacers, Julius Randle continued his fine play

It’s always cool when NBA players admit to being motivated by the team or players they’re up against. Via the NY Daily News:

Julius Randle showed why he was an All-Star selection over Domantas Sabonis.

In a head-to-head physical battle between the two powerful forwards, Randle won the box score and the game, 110-107, pushing the Knicks (17-17) to .500 for the first time since January.

Randle finished with 28 points and 10 boards in 42 minutes, fighting Sabonis on the block and in the paint.

Randle acknowledged he was motivated by the matchup.

“Sometimes there are just individual matchups that you take — not personal or nothing, like you don’t like the other guy, just personal from a competitive standpoint,” Randle said. “So it was that.”

The Knicks are outperforming expectations this season and are now tied with the Raptors for the East’s 4th best record. They’re the most fun-to-watch Knicks squad in recent memory. And they’re doing it with defense: the team ranks 3rd best in the league.

Knicks on four-game losing streak

The Knicks are taking some losses lately. Via the New York Post:

The Knicks opened the season playing surprisingly good defense. Team legend and MSG analyst Clyde Frazier constantly praised them on the network for playing “tenacious D.”

Tom Thibodeau’s team has strayed, however, from the principles that spurred its surprising 5-3 start while losing four consecutive games entering Friday’s visit to Cleveland.

In each of the four games, their opponents exceeded their season scoring average, and connected on at least 11 attempts from 3-point range.

That coincided with a shooting slump of their own, and the Knicks clearly don’t have the margin for error to revert to lackadaisical play in their own end.

At 5-7, the team still has a decent record. They’v mostly been led by Julius Randle, who is putting up 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, and RJ Barrett, who has been averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Julius Randle and RJ Barrett playing huge minutes for Knicks

To nobody’s surprise, a Tom Thibodeau-coached NBA team features some players who are racking up some extremely high minutes. Via the New York Post:

RJ Barrett and Julius Randle lead the NBA as a 1-2 punch in one category.

It’s not in scoring but minutes per game. RJ Barrett, after playing 44 in the Knicks’ loss to Oklahoma City on Friday, entered Sunday’s 114-89 loss to Denver averaging 38.8 minutes. Randle was close behind at 37.7…

At age 19, Barrett played 31 minutes per game as a rookie . Former coach David Fizdale was asked early in Barrett’s rookie season if he were worried about giving a 19-year-old too many minutes. But Barrett remained sturdy and mostly injury free — save one ankle sprain.

The Knicks are off to a solid 5-5 start this season. They’re being led in scoring by Randle at 23.2 points per game, Alec Burks at 20.7 PPG (but in just three games played) off the bench, Barrett at 16.5 PPG, Elfrid Payton at 14.5 PPG, and Austin Rivers at 11.8 PPG off the bench.

Knicks forward Julius Randle gets triple-double in win over Cavs

Knicks forward Julius Randle had himself a game tonight. Via the New York Daily News:

They’re not the most talented team on most nights, but efficient 3-point shooting, a commitment to defense and Julius Randle’s all-around excellence has the Knicks on a two-game winning streak.

Randle, the once-maligned power forward, posted an exquisite triple-double in Tuesday’s 95-86 victory in Cleveland, dropping 28 points with 12 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists. He again served as the Knicks’ top playmaker, and countered sporadic sloppy play (nine turnovers) with early All-Star production. The Knicks used the eighth overall pick last month on Randle’s potential replacement, Obi Toppin. But with Toppin injured, Randle continues to solidify his position as the franchise’s top player.

Randle did commit nine turnovers. But let’s overlook that for today.

The Knicks started Elfrid Payton and R.J. Barrett at guard, Reggie Bullock and Randle at forward, and Mitchell Robinson at center. Three players received bench minutes: Kevin Knox, Nerlens Noel and Frank Ntilikina.

Anthony Davis and Julius Randle could do big things together

Anthony Davis no longer has DeMarcus Cousins as a teammate, but new squad member Julius Randle could do big things next to him. The two form one of the most interesting frontcourt combos in the league, and are worth keeping an eye on, especially early in the season to see how well they learn to play together. Of course, chemistry development takes time. Here’s The Advocate reporting:

“The stuff I’ve seen (Julius) do with the Lakers has been awesome,” Davis said. “His ability to be a playmaker. His ability to score out of the post on anybody. It can be bigger guys or smaller guys. He’s going to go through your chest and get a bucket, go to the line. He’s another guy who can do pretty much everything. When you have a guy like that, it’s hard not to be excited to play with a guy like that. I’m excited to see how it flows in a game.”

Collectively, David and Randle averaged 44.2 points and 19.1 rebounds last season for their respective teams. That’s 28.1 points and 16.1 rebounds for Davis and 16.1 points and 8 rebounds for Randle.

Randle looks forward to the possibilities.

For the first time in his NBA career, he’ll be playing alongside an MVP-caliber player.

“I’ve never been in a situation where I got to play with a player like AD,” Randle said. “For me, I feel like it makes my job a lot easier. I can just go out there and do what I naturally do, which is play hard. Everything else works itself out because he takes so much pressure off all of us. We already know hat he can do on both ends of the floor and how he affects the game.”

Full article

Pelicans sign Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Julius Randle and guard Elfrid Payton.

Randle’s contract is reportedly a two-year, $18 million deal. And Payton’s contract is reportedly a one-year deal.

Payton wasn’t really thought of as a long-term part of the Magic. He hasn’t yet proven if he’s worthy of starting on a good team vs being a bench contributor. He definitely belongs in almost any team’s backcourt rotation. And should presumably continue to improve.

Randle was thought of as a long-term part of the Lakers’ future. At least until the emergence of Kyle Kuzma, the signing of LeBron James, and the need for salary cap flexibility. Randle probably wanted a serious long-term contract from the Lakers. But this isn’t the right time for them to commit to that. They would have liked to keep him. But business is business, and right now the Lakers’ business is making roster moves devoted to getting some stars around LeBron James by next offseason.

Payton, 6-4, 185, played last season with the Orlando Magic (44 games) and Phoenix Suns (19 games), averaging 12.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 28.7 minutes per contest. In 300 career NBA regular season games with Orlando and Phoenix, Payton has averaged 11.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes per game.

A native of Gretna, La., Payton starred at John Ehret High School before playing collegiately at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. After a three-year collegiate career where he was a two-time member of the First-Team All-Sun Belt and the 2014 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Payton was selected 10th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by Philadelphia before being acquired by Orlando in a draft night trade.

Randle, 6-9, 250, had previously spent his entire four-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers after being selected seventh overall in the 2014 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky. This past season, Randle appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Lakers, averaging a career-high 16.1 points on a career-high .558 shooting from the field to go with 8.0 rebounds – including 2.2 on the offensive end – and 2.6 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.

In 238 career regular season games (182 starts), Randle holds career averages of 13.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per game