Julius Randle Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Sharpe, Randle, Brunson, Rose

December 12th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics forward Grant Williams has been fined $20K for hitting the game ball into the spectator stands, the league’s communications department tweets. The incident, for which Williams was assessed a technical foul and ejected, occurred late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 123-107 loss to the Warriors on Saturday.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Day’Ron Sharpe may have earned more playing time with his performance on Saturday with many of the team’s regulars out, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Sharpe had a career-high-tying 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as the Nets defeated Indiana. “He’s a young young dude, he’s still learning the speed and where to be. For us to throw different things at him and for him not to get flustered and have poise was great to see,” coach Jacque Vaughn said of the 2021 first-round pick.
Knicks forward Julius Randle got tossed during the third quarter against Sacramento on Sunday for picking up two technical fouls. Coach Tom Thibodeau believes the coaching staff needs to calm Randle down in those situation to keep him on the court, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “When he got the first [technical foul], we have to do a better job of helping him walk away,” Thibodeau said. “As a team, staff, all of us.”
Derrick Rose, who was recently removed from the Knicks‘ rotation, could get some playing time restored if Jalen Brunson needs to miss some games, Braziller writes in a separate story. Brunson left Sunday’s game with what the team’s PR department described as a sore right foot (Twitter link). The Knicks don’t play again until Wednesday.

New York Notes: Knicks, Griffin, Simmons, Warren

December 7th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

One league source who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com referred to the Knicks‘ situation as a “depressing” one, arguing that their roster “just doesn’t work” and suggesting that even a positive addition like Jalen Brunson hasn’t helped all the pieces mesh.

“They’ve got some good players, but there’s no fit,” the source said to Bulpett. “The talent they have doesn’t help each other enough.”

The source identified forward Julius Randle as a player the Knicks should be looking to trade, contending that he’s too ball-dominant.

“They have to do something to shake it up there, because the mix they have isn’t working now and it’s not going to work,” he said. “They don’t guard like you’d expect with that coach (Tom Thibodeau). He’s a defensive guy, and their (defensive) rating is in, like, the bottom third or bottom quarter.”

The Knicks’ 112.9 defensive rating currently ranks 23rd in the NBA and 13th in the East.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The Knicks will get a good look on Wednesday at Hawks forward AJ Griffin, who was under consideration for New York at No. 13 in this year’s draft before the team traded that pick, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Griffin ultimately went 16th to Atlanta, while the Knicks’ trade helped them clear cap room to sign Brunson. “I think AJ Griffin has added a lot to their team. He’s an elite shooter. (He) has really played well for them,” Thibodeau said. “You know, he was on the (Knicks’ draft) board. I think we looked at a number of players that we felt were good. You look at all the possibilities. I thought we were very thorough in our approach, and we decided on the path we went down and felt good about it.”
When he returns from his current injury absence, Ben Simmons may receive a lighter workload, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post, who notes that the Nets swingman suffered his calf strain while playing a fifth game in seven days. “I think we’re definitely going to look at (the workload) a lot differently,” Simmons said on Tuesday. “Maybe not (playing) back-to-backs or whatever it is. I think that’s going to be a joint thing with the training staff and with myself.”
The Nets are also managing the playing time of forward T.J. Warren, who isn’t expected to be on the court for both games of the team’s back-to-back set this Friday and Saturday, so soon after returning from a two-year absence. “(The) goal is to (have him) playing for us at the end of the year in the playoffs,” Vaughn said, per Sanchez. “So we’ll probably … (be) more conservative this weekend with him.”
In case you missed it, we published stories earlier today on the Knicks’ trade talks and their efforts to move Cam Reddish.

New York Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Randle, Knicks Centers

November 26th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Health and confidence are the primary reasons Ben Simmons has performed well lately for the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

After missing all of last season due to mental health issues and later a herniated disc in his back, which required surgery in May, Simmons had a slow start to the 2022/23 campaign, averaging just 5.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 44.4% from the floor and 46.7% from the line through nine games (27.3 MPG). He also missed five games while dealing with knee soreness and swelling.

However, over the past six games (31.1 minutes), Simmons has started to look more like his old self, averaging 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 82.0% from the field and 61.1% from the charity stripe. The 26-year-old swingman still isn’t 100 percent yet, according to Lewis, but he’s clearly making progress.

“Healthy. Finally got his legs under him. He was off for two years. Y’all won’t even give him a chance. Y’all want to criticize him after every f–king game,” Markieff Morris said. “But the guy didn’t play two years. Obviously, y’all wouldn’t know, because none of y’all played in the NBA. He’s got to get his body right. There’s contact every night. Playing 30-plus minutes, it takes time.”

Simmons says he’s still working on finding consistency with his health and play.

“Yeah, I feel [the confidence]. I know who I am, I know what I’m capable of. I know what this team needs me to do, so I’m going to keep working and being consistent with my body and on the court,” he said.

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

Can Simmons and center Nic Claxton overcome spacing concerns and coexist in the Nets‘ starting lineup? Lewis tackles that subject in a member-only article for The New York Post. Head coach Jacque Vaughn acknowledged it will be a challenge at times. “Something we’ve got to figure out,” Vaughn said. “Because both guys do present some positives for us. Hopefully we can lean into the defensive piece with their length with Kevin (Durant) out there on the floor at the same time. But we do have to work through some spacing. We’ll try to play fast. Nic has that ability to run the floor and play fast, so hopefully we won’t have a bunch of sets in the halfcourt that we’ve got to make our way through.”
Power forward Julius Randle says he’s still adjusting to “playing off the ball more” after the Knicks signed point guard Jalen Brunson in the offseason, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. As Botte notes, New York ran a lot of its offense through Randle from 2020-22, when he averaged 5.6 assists per game. That figure is down to 3.0 per night in ’22/23, but he’s scoring more efficiently. “Just making the game easy, try and make efficient shots and keep the flow of the offense going,” Randle said. “I think it’s the flow of our offense. Break it down, see more, especially in my position where shots are coming from [and being] responsible for getting good shots … figuring out what spots for most efficient shots.”
The Knicks have played all three of their centers — Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims — three games in a row. Head coach Tom Thibodeau says that won’t always be the case, but he’s a fan of having so many options at the five spot. “It’s game-to-game. It’ll sort itself out,” Thibodeau said, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I don’t think it’ll be like that every game. But I love the depth at that position. So all three guys are more than capable, all three can start, all three can come off the bench. It’s a good luxury to have.”

Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein Discusses Role, Achilles Issue

November 24th, 2022 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Last season with the Clippers, center Isaiah Hartenstein served as a play-maker in the middle, averaging 4.7 assists per 36 minutes. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, the Knicks sold Hartenstein on playing a similar role in New York when he joined the team in the offseason as a free agent.

However, so far this fall, Hartenstein is handing out a career-low 1.2 assists per 36 minutes and averaging just 0.8 seconds per touch (as opposed to 2.06 seconds per touch last season). The big man acknowledged on Wednesday that he has been asked to play more like a traditional center with the Knicks.

“It’s adjusting to a different role where it’s playing more like (the Knicks’ other centers), I guess. Not more of what I’m used to,” Hartenstein said. “That’s been a little more difficult. And so I’m just adjusting to more of a Mitch (Robinson) role, where I’m just rolling into the pick-and-roll.”

As Bondy relays, Hartenstein reiterated multiple times during his media session that he’s fine with making the adjustment, but said it has been a challenge and has required some extra film work to get comfortable.

It doesn’t help that the 24-year-old has been dealing with an inflamed Achilles tendon since the summer and still only feels “about 80 percent.” Hartenstein believes the issue is hindering his athleticism and may be having an impact on his defense and rebounding, according to Bondy.

“I feel like I’m a little slower than I normally am,” he said. “Little slower to get up to defend the shots where I normally am able to do really good.”

When Robinson missed some time this month due to a knee injury, third-string center Jericho Sims entered the rotation and had some strong performances. With Robinson back, all three centers have played at least 13 minutes apiece in each of the Knicks’ past two games, but Bondy says head coach Tom Thibodeau typically prefers to use just two centers in his rotation, especially if he wants to try to get Julius Randle and Obi Toppin some minutes together.

Hartenstein, who signed a two-year, $16MM contract and has appeared in every game so far this season, may not end up being the odd man out, but he said he’s willing to accept a reduced role if the team wants to lean more on its traditional centers or use a two-power-forward look.

“I know what I can do,” Hartenstein said. “It’s now just doing whatever I can do in the role that’s given to me. I have a lot of respect for Jericho and Mitch. So if that’s what coach thinks is the best thing to do – if coach thinks it’s best to go with Julius and Obi, then do that. I’m just here to help the team win at the end of the day and if coach thinks that way, or if coach thinks that way. I’m ready to do that.”

New York Notes: Fournier, Knicks, Players-Only Dinner, Nets Injuries

November 15th, 2022 at 7:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Evan Fournier struggled in a starting role and has been even worse coming off the bench, Peter Botte of the New York Post notes. The Knicks shooting guard has missed all 10 of his shot attempts in the last two games and he has scored just 16 points in six games as a reserve.

“The thing is when you only shoot three times a game … it adds up. It adds up. And at the end of the season, you look at your [shooting] percentage and it’s not good,” Fournier said. “But it’s just hard to find a rhythm right now. I think not knowing the rotation, what’s coming your way, et cetera, et cetera. I have to do a better job of all that and just being in the moment, being ready for whatever.”

Fournier’s four-year, $73MM contract has turned into an albatross. He’s in the second year of the deal, though the club holds an option on the final year.

We have more on the New York teams:

The defensive breakdowns the Knicks displayed while giving up 145 points to Oklahoma City on Sunday could be due to a number of factors, writes Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post (subscription required). A potential solution could be a coaching change and Tom Thibodeau is rumored to be on the hot seat. Rotation changes, or perhaps a blockbuster trade, could alternatively turn the team’s fortunes, Sanchez adds.
Could the Knicks have solved their problems over dinner? Julius Randle organized a players-only dinner in Utah on Monday as the team began a road trip, Zach Brazilier of the New York Post reports. “It was good, good to have a team dinner like that,” RJ Barrett said. “Try to figure this out the best that we can. We all care, trying to get this going on the right track.”
Injuries to Seth Curry, T.J. Warren and Ben Simmons, plus the ongoing suspension of Kyrie Irving, have forced the Nets to go deeper into their bench and alter their rotations, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “It just puts us straight on everyone else,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “We put David Duke in, Patty [Mills] earlier, Markieff [Morris] earlier in our normal rotation. … It puts a strain on us when we are not completely whole, for sure.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Williams, Hauser, Randle, Toppin

November 6th, 2022 at 3:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Sixers are striving to balance their need to win now with their focus on keeping All-NBA center Joel Embiid, currently dealing with an illness, healthy deeper into the season, writes Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.

Embiid most recently tried to play on Friday against the Knicks, but ultimately left the floor about 15 minutes ahead of tip-off. The club lost to New York and fell to 4-6 on the season.

“Watching him in shootaround, I thought he was really struggling,” head coach Doc Rivers said of Embiid. “Showed up, went out on the floor, got shots, and just felt bad… Obviously, we want to win the game, and putting him on the floor would obviously help us. But we got to also think of the long game as well, and so I thought it was the right decision not to play him.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics center Robert Williams III, ruled out for eight-to-12 weeks while he recovers from left knee surgery, is inching closer to a return for Boston, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “It feels great just getting back on the court, to be honest, man,” Williams said. “I need them just like they need me.” Last year for Boston, Williams was looking like a possible Defensive Player of the Year candidate before being waylaid by his knee.
Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown applauded the on-court development of sharpshooting reserve forward Sam Hauser, writes Jay King of The Athletic. Hauser has proven himself to be a key floor-spacing option. In lineups where All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is surrounded by reserve shooters Hauser, Malcolm Brogdon and Grant Williams, Boston’s offense has scored 131.9 points per 100 possessions, writes King. “Sam is lights out,” Brown said. “You can’t leave him. We’re looking for him. Once he hit a couple, we’re looking for him, and Sam is always ready. He works hard, and he’s developing a nice role for himself in this league.” Through nine games for Boston so far, Hauser is averaging 6.4 PPG on .571/.548/.500 shooting splits in 13.1 MPG.
Though the Knicks‘ attempt to pair power forwards Julius Randle and Obi Toppin in select minutes during a recent loss to the Celtics didn’t work out particularly well, the duo remains optimistic that it can be effective, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I think we played good,” Toppin opined. “We’ve just got to come back with a lot more energy and a lot more fight next game.” Randle also spoke positively about the grouping: “I love it. Play fast, spacing on the floor, obviously, on the offensive end. Being able to switch. The biggest thing is with that group is we just have to rebound. I think that’s the one thing, even when he’s not out there, it’s not a 4 and 5. I think we clean up our rebounding and we’ll be fine.”

Mitchell Robinson To Miss At Least One Week With Knee Sprain

November 5th, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Center Mitchell Robinson suffered a sprained right knee in Friday’s game, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). His condition will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days.

Robinson was injured late in the first half against the Sixers. He limped to the locker room and was declared out for the rest of the game.

Robinson has played in all eight games so far and is averaging 6.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per night. He is coming off a relatively healthy season, appearing in 72 games last year after being limited to 31 in 2020/21.

Isaiah Hartenstein, who started the second half Friday night, should see a larger role while Robinson is sidelined. The Knicks also used power forwards Julius Randle and Obi Toppin together against Philadelphia and may employ more of that small-ball lineup until Robinson returns.

Knicks Notes: Grimes, Fournier, Robinson, Toppin, Randle

November 4th, 2022 at 11:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t sound like he was in a rush to make a change to the starting lineup after the Knicks lost their third straight game on Wednesday to the Hawks, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

“We’ll see how it unfolds,” Thibodeau said, when asked how much of a sample size is needed before considering a change. “So, you wanna make sure that you get a good look at everything.”

However, Fred Katz of The Athletic wrote prior to Friday’s 106-104 victory over Philadelphia that it would likely just be a matter of time before a change was made given Evan Fournier‘s defensive struggles and poor on/off numbers, and that turned out to be the case, with Quentin Grimes inserted as the starting shooting guard. Fournier wasn’t Grimes’ initial replacement either, as Immanuel Quickley was the first player off the bench.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Grimes is still working his way back into game shape after making his regular season debut in garbage time on Wednesday. Thibodeau said he was unlikely to have a big role prior to Friday’s game, Braziller notes in a separate story. “He’s situational right now,” Thibodeau said on Thursday. “But we’ll take a look at it.” Even though he did end up starting, Thibodeau’s statement still held true, as Grimes only played 15 minutes.
Starting center Mitchell Robinson left Friday’s game during the first half and was unable to return, with the team announcing (via Twitter) that he was dealing with a sore right knee. It’s unclear at this time how serious his injury might be.
One beneficiary of Robinson’s absence was third-year forward Obi Toppin. Thibodeau has been hesitant to use him alongside Julius Randle, preferring a more traditional center with rim protection, but the Sixers were without Joel Embiid and had a small lineup themselves, so Thibodeau used the pairing in the fourth-quarter comeback to great results, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (subscriber link). As Bondy notes, Toppin scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth. “That’s one of the first times [I saw the Toppin-Randle frontcourt],” said point guard Jalen Brunson. “I found it worked.“

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Randle, Robinson, Grimes

October 27th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The emergence of new Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson as the team’s primary ball-handler has helped free up power forward Julius Randle from the pressures of the team’s lottery-bound 2021/22 season, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper notes that Randle has appeared to be more engaged with his teammates and a more active leader overall.

“I’m just trying to lose myself in the team,” Randle said. “Adding Jalen, our team another year starting playing together helps. But the big shot he hit in crunch time [Monday], typically they’re looking for me to go get a basket. For him to take that pressure off me is huge.”

There’s more out of Madison Square Garden:

Brunson has already helped New York in late-game situations, winning the kinds of the games the team would lose last year, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. “We’re supposed to win game even when we’re not playing our best,” Brunson said. “That’s the sign of a good team.” Brunson’s arrival in New York reminds Vaccaro of the impact Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd had when he joined the then-New Jersey Nets in 2001. Though pundits were not particularly high on the Nets’ chances of title contention, Kidd promptly led the team to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson has big goals now that he has signed his first big-money NBA contract, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The seven-foot big man inked a four-year, $60MM deal to remain in New York this summer. “Most people yell out, ‘When you get paid, you don’t want to work no more,'” Robinson said. “That’s the opposite of me… Even though I got a little bag, I’m still gonna work even harder now because I want another one. I want more. I’m hungry.” Robinson also indicated that he was hoping to eventually earn a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Knicks reserve guard Quentin Grimes has been sidelined so far this season as he grapples with a sore foot. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports that New York is holding Grimes out until he is pain-free. “They said it was kind of [an] overuse thing. Just being in the gym a lot [in the summer],” Grimes said. “Coming back at night, going back to Houston, working on it and working on it. Then [head coach Tom Thibodeau] had us in there for sure, working out.”

Knicks Notes: Randle, Offense, Reddish

October 23rd, 2022 at 7:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks power forward Julius Randle has been enjoying a solid run as a play-maker for New York in this young NBA season, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Reserve combo guard Derrick Rose appreciates the improvement.

“The way he’s reading the floor is totally different,” Rose raved. “His passing has been unbelievable. Understanding that we want to get up a certain amount of threes and he’s finding the shooters.”

With starting point guard Jalen Brunson function as the club’s primary passer, Randle has become a supplemental ball-handler among the starters, which appears to be a better fit for him.

There’s more out of New York:

Though Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau remains focused on the defense, the team is developing on the offensive side of the ball early in the season as well, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. The team has been significantly faster-paced and more pass-happy than last year’s incarnation, per Popper. New York is fifth in scoring and 17th in pace after ranking 29th in pace during the 2021/22 season. “It’s not just playing fast, and you don’t want to take reckless shots, but you got to move without the ball and you got to move with pace,” Thibodeau said. “And so, getting it up fast is the initial part, but creating the movement is the secondary part that’s equally important, and then when we put it down and we drive the ball, attack the rim.”
Knicks forward Cam Reddish, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has enjoyed a stellar start to his fourth NBA season. His effort in practice could be a key factor in his play so far, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “It’s what a guy does in practice every day,” Thibodeau said of Reddish’s performative improvement. “Usually, if you practice well, you’re gonna play well.. He’s gotten a lot better offensively and defensively… And a big part of that is, I think, him getting comfortable with his teammates, his teammates getting comfortable with him. His attitude’s been great. Just keep working.”