The Big Lead

Julius Randle's Knicks Teammates Are Frustrated With His Playing Style

By Ryan Phillips

Julius Randle and RJ Barrett play for the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett play for the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics / Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
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Julius Randle put up some really good numbers this season in his first year with the New York Knicks. But the 25-year-old forward apparently annoyed teammates with the way he played. Rookie RJ Barrett was especially frustrated by the veteran's playing style.

The New York Post's Marc Berman revealed that a number of players think Randle dribbles too much and doesn't get teammates involved. Despite putting up solid numbers this season, Barrett and others were not happy:

"Nevertheless, some Knicks, including rookie RJ Barrett, were frustrated by Randle’s penchant for not distributing the ball quickly enough and overdribbling, according to two sources familiar with the situation."

While he didn't get his teammates involved enough, Randle averaged 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 32.5 minutes per game. His advanced stats took a hit as he hit just 27.7 percent of his 3-point shots, so that's certainly a concern. He didn't light up the NBA but all-in-all it was a solid season.

Here's a bit more on the situation:

"Randle became less of a turnover machine in the final two months and became a little less clunky on the drive. Still, the on-court chemistry between Randle and Barrett, who is used to having the ball in his hands, bears major watching next season. For the most part, Barrett kept quiet about the Randle situation."

The problem here is that Randle was brought in to lead the franchise into the future, and that job should have included helping Barrett develop. The 19-year-old rookie is being groomed as a future star and if he and Randle aren't on the same page, it spells trouble.

Barrett was disappointing as a rookie. The third pick from the 2019 NBA Draft averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He was woeful shooting from the floor, hitting just 40.2 percent of his field goals and his PER was a dismal 10.78.

Randle and Barrett need to find a way to fix their chemistry issues. Randle has to stop the over-dribbling and keep the ball moving and Barrett has to improve so his teammates trust him with the ball. It's a two-way street and both guys need to adjust to accommodate the other.