Julius Randle Focus On Knicks' Winning Streak, Unbothered By Lack of All-Star Votes
Julius Randle is leaving election day chatter to the political networks.
The New York Knicks forward was one of the most glaring absences on the first fan vote returns for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. On the list released last week, Randle was not among the top 10 earners in the Eastern Conference frontcourt department despite repping the Knicks twice in the past three seasons (including last year's exhibition in Salt Lake City).
Randle briefly addressed the apparent snub as the Knicks worked through a weekend road trip between Philadelphia and Washington. The 29-year-old offered thanks for those who did stuff the ballot box for him but was otherwise unmoved by any All-Star leaderboards.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY SPORTS
“The fans who do vote for me, I appreciate it,” Randle said before Friday's win over Philadelphia, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “At the end of the day, I play to win games, win basketball games, my job is to win as many games as possible, try to win the championship. I’ve always said (that) the personal accolades, they come with all of that. That’s really not my focus."
“I’m sure in a week or two, it’ll change. It’s just the nature of how these things go. But like I said, it’s not really my focus.”
If the Knicks' recent outputs are any indication, he's true to his word in the sense that his focus appears to center purely on New York's section of the scoreboard.
Perhaps voters are holding Randle's early work against him: over the first six games, Randle was among the Association's worst shooters as he worked off the aftershocks of offseason ankle surgery that kept him from playing a full 82-game slate last season and marred his subsequent playoff run.
But whatever Randle's New Year's resolution was, he appears to be fulfilling it.
Over the first four games of the 2024 calendar year, Randle has averaged 30.3 points and 7.3 rebounds on just under 51 percent shooting from the field. Those numbers are perhaps even more impressive when considering the fact that a dreadful 1-of-11 performance in the blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Randle has more than made up for it in the other portions, notably hitting 39 points in a New Year's Day victory over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves. Another 39-tally outing awaited on Saturday when the Knicks handled business against the lowly Washington Wizards. Further buoyed by Jalen Brunson's continued scoring prowess (he and Randle have both scored at least 30 in two of the past four) and the arrival of OG Anunoby, New York has won four in a row and has leaped back into the Eastern Conference's top six automatic playoff spots, currently stationed in a three-way tie with Orlando and Cleveland entering this week.
Even if voters are too stubborn to forgive Randle's early mistakes, he continues to stand as an All-Star in the eyes of his fellow New Yorkers.
“I think he’s done a really good job of running the floor, moving without the ball, getting downhill, generating speed on the catch,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “His strength, his power, those are all advantages that he has.”
Randle's next chance to prove himself to voters if the urge strikes him lands on Tuesday night when the Knicks (21-15) host the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
