Julius Randle is in for a big brunt of the criticism aimed at the Knicks following their 2nd round defeat. His dismal performance prompted some Knicks fans to vandalize a poster of him. And Richard Jefferson isn’t one to side with those dissenters.
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If you’d told Knicks fans that they’d be making the 2nd round of the playoffs at the start of the season, most of them would take that offer and run. After all, they came back from a season in which they didn’t even make the play-in tournament.
However, coach Thibs motivated his new bunch – bolstered by point guard Jalen Brunson – into playing extremely high-quality defense. Their mid-season addition of Josh Hart proved to be another valuable addition that propelled them to a 5th-seed finish.
They were able to impose their physicality on a Cavs frontcourt that needs to add some meat. However, their clash with the Miami Heat proved to be a bridge too far to scale for the Knicks. Many of their players’ performances fell significantly – including that of All-Star Julius Randle.
Knicks fans vandalize a Julius Randle Poster, Richard Jefferson Reacts
Jalen Brunson played a lone hand in the Knicks’ road game 6 appearance last night. The Vilanova guard scored more field goals en route to a 41-point outing than the rest of his starters combined.
Randle was among those players that Knicks fans looked to raise his level of play. But the former Laker shot a woeful 3-of-14 from the field for 15 points on the night. His performance was so bad that it led to Knicks fans tearing up one of his posters.
Richard Jefferson, who knows a thing or two about playoff disappointments, does not approve of this behavior. He pointed out that they’ve had their best season in 10 years, and he isn’t wrong at all.
How bad has Randle really been for the Knicks?
Julius Randle is among the league’s most physical players at the forward position today. The 6’8″ forward was expected to impose his authority on the boards as well as with his paint scoring.
However, he got thoroughly manhandled by the Heat’s defense in this series, as Bam Adebayo guarded him for long stretches. The 28-year-old’s shooting volume fell by nearly 5 shots per game in the playoffs. And obviously, his scoring output declined.
2 stinkers especially stick out for the All-Star – his performance in Game 6, as well as his 4-15 night in Game 3. Randle’s overall scoring volume declined by a whopping 8.5 points per game in the playoffs. This is definitely unacceptable for an All-Star caliber player expected to be the franchise player.
We must remember, though, that Randle has been nursing an ankle injury suffered in late March. It has doubtless limited his effectiveness as a scorer and on the boards.
