New York Knicks: What fans should expect from Julius Randle in 2019-20

The New York Knicks were unable to land any marquee free agents this summer . However, they signed one all-star caliber player in Julius Randle.

The 2019 NBA free agency period was arguably the most disappointing in franchise history for the New York Knicks.

After many rumblings surfaced throughout this past season surrounding the possibility of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teaming up in Madison Square Garden, there was a reason for Knicks fans to be optimistic.

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Unfortunately for New York, by the time free agency began on June 30, Durant and Irving already decided to join the Brooklyn Nets.

After the Knicks knew that they would not be signing any elite-level talent, they decided to use their cap space to sign multiple lower-tier players, a decision that was viewed as questionable by many.

New York added role players such as Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, Elfrid Payton and Taj Gibson to their roster, with all of them agreeing to two-year deals. They are solid players who can contribute right away, but they will not be able to elevate the franchise out of a years-long rebuild.

Despite clearly having an underwhelming offseason, the blue-and-orange was still able to acquire Julius Randle, who had a career year last season as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Knicks and Randle agreed on a three-year, $63 million deal shortly after the start of free agency.

He is arguably the best free-agent signing for New York in years, as he has proven himself to be a star on the offensive end of the floor and at just 24 years old it is very possible that his best basketball is ahead of him.

Randle put up all-star level numbers for the Pelicans during the 2018-19 season. He averaged an extremely impressive stat line of 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in just 30.6 minutes per game.

It was by far his best year as a pro, as he demonstrated through his play that he has the talent to be a primary scoring option on a rebuilding team such as the Knicks.

Offensively, Randle can practically do it all. His ball-handling ability and quickness for a player of his stature is nothing short of elite. He can easily blow by most big men in the league and he also possesses the strength to finish over them.

While attacking the basket off the dribble, Randle is great at using solid footwork in order to evade his defender and get to his left hand which usually leads to an easy two points.

As effective as he is at getting to the rim, Randle struggles to finish with his non-dominant right hand. This leads to the 6’9” big man often choosing to drive to the left side of the basket in order to get to his left hand, which can be predictable.

On occasion, Randle was able to score at the rim with his non-dominant hand but he needs to be more comfortable going to his right off the dribble in order to keep defenses guessing.

Randle has made strides in his shooting ability over the past year, particularly from long range. During his years as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he was a poor 3-point shooter who never averaged more than 0.9 attempts per game for a season.

However, last season Randle had career highs in 3-point attempts, makes and overall percentage. The Kentucky product converted on 34.4 percent of his 2.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc, a massive improvement from years prior.

As a playmaker, Randle’s skills are unheralded. His feel for the game for a bruising power forward/center is unique and it is a skill that became apparent as soon as he entered the NBA.

He is a patient facilitator who owns great vision which allows him to spot open cutters more often than not. Randle averaged a solid 3.1 assists per game last season which ranked eighth among NBA centers.

If the Knicks allow him to become the focal point of their offense, Randle has the ability to post monster numbers next season.

Considering that New York does not have the talent that the Pelicans had last year, there is a reasonable chance that he will once again have a career year in 2019-20. Fans of the Knicks should not be surprised if Randle receives some All-Star consideration next season.