What happened to Julius Randle and the what should the Knicks do?

After a disappointing start to his New York Knicks career, it seemed as if Julius Randle’s time in New York would not be that long. The Knicks made it known they were open to trading him after selecting Obi Toppin with the 8th overall pick.

However, out of nowhere, Julius Randle EXPLODED onto the scene during the 2020-21 NBA season, showcasing a newfound shooting ability, the likes of which no one has ever seen out of him.

Whether it be a step back, fading, or leaning mid-range, Julius Randle could not be stopped. This, alongside his newfound three-point shooting, led to Randle making his first-ever All-Star game, and eventually the All-NBA Second Team.

However, this tremendous season from Randle came crashing down in the playoffs when his newfound shooting seemingly disappeared. This led some of the Knicks fans who had negative feelings for him before to rise back up and showcase their doubt in Randle’s ability.

What happened to Julius Randle? Why is he playing so poorly? Are New York Knicks fans right to be angry?

After a breakout season in which Julius Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 45.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three, it seemed as if Randle would be back and better than ever for the 2021-22 NBA season. He even signed a four-year, $117M extension to stay in New York during the 2021 offseason.

However, this has been FAR from the case. In fact, Randle might just be having his worst season as a pro, reaching career lows in efficiency, while also looking unplayable at times.

In 44 games played this season, Julius Randle is averaging 18.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists to 3.4 turnovers, on 41.1 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three. Yikes.

Julius Randle has flat out looked terrible at times, showing a newfound lack of effort on the defensive end, while also looking useless on offense multiple times throughout the season.

A perfect example is New York’s most recent game against the New Orleans Pelicans where Randle put up an awful 4 points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field, 6 assists to 3 turnovers, and 7 rebounds.

This performance could quite possibly be his rock bottom as a Knick, while also leading to one of the funniest headlines I have seen in sports this year from NBC Sports.

This is not the only stinker of a performance Julius Randle has put up this year, as Randle has played 6 games this season in which he failed to score double-digit points, to go alongside 21 games in which he failed to shoot above 40 percent from the field.

Julius Randle has just flat out played horrifically throughout most of the season, showing a terrible lack of effort defensively while also showing extreme tunnel vision. Oftentimes, he prefers to chuck up a contested mid-range or three as opposed to passing the ball to a teammate for a better shot.

This tunnel vision is something Randle showcased last year, however, he would often hit the shots he took, making it somewhat okay. Unfortunately, he has not been hitting the shots he took last season.

I truly do not understand what happened to Randle, he is taking the same shots as he did the year prior, but he’s just not hitting them. Maybe it is just a lack of confidence, an unknown change to his jump shot, or maybe he simply cannot handle the pressure of playing in New York.

Regardless, Julius Randle has to improve his play. If not, then for the Knicks’ sake, he must be traded in order to clear up space for some of the younger players, because this level of play is unacceptable for the contract he is currently on.