Julius Randle has 13 assists and two turnovers through three preseason games. He’s 15-for-31 from the field, and New York has outscored opponents by 36 points during Randle’s 66 preseason minutes.
Do those numbers mean anything? Maybe not. It’s foolish to make any strong projections based on preseason games.
But Randle’s fit in the Knicks offense is – at the least – an encouraging sign for the club.
Last season, New York relied often on Randle to initiate its offense. That role made sense. Randle was coming off of an All-NBA season. But the results were messy. New York struggled to find consistency in the first four months of the season. So did Randle. His shooting dipped and his frustration rose at times. And the Knicks stumbled to a 37-win season.
Amid offseason uncertainty, Randle relied on his trainer, chef, and his wife, Kendra, to prepare him for 2022-23.
“I got back with my trainer from when I felt like I was in the best shape of my career back in LA. It really was like a whole team effort,” Randle said earlier in training camp. “To be honest, it was (trainer Amolia Cesar), my chef was really great. My wife (Kendra Randle) was amazing, keeping me on top of things and motivating me herself. So everybody played a part (in) trying to get me into the season in the best shape and as healthy as possible and in the best mindset. A lot of credit to the people around me.”
So far, so good.
Randle had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Knicks’ loss to Indiana on Wednesday. His shots seemed to come within the rhythm of the offense. The ball didn’t stop in his hands. He found teammates open on the perimeter; they found Randle in high-yield spots on the floor.
“I just think the way our offense is, everybody is going to be able to pick their spots and it always comes back around,” Randle said earlier in the preseason.
That approach has worked well for Randle and the Knicks in the preseason. Of course, it’s been three games. It’s too early to make definitive statements about any Knicks, Randle included. But the 2020-21 All-Star is off to a good start.