This can be the season Knicks forward Julius Randle envisioned after a career year in which he averaged 24 points per game, was named Most Improved Player, and became a first time All-NBA selection. The Knicks are in 11th place in the East, with no real chance of making the playoffs, and the scoring output has dipped back to just above 20 points per game.
The Knicks won eight different streaks of three or more victories last year. The Knicks haven't had a winning streak longer than three this season, and they have only done that three times. Even though the Knicks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs, most thought they were back. We thought it was the start of something new, with all the Bing Bong nonsense and Randle leading the charge.
It feels like the basketball gods are intervening. The break-out year seems to be an exception now. Before last season, New York hadn't made the playoffs in three years. It looked like the franchise had finally turned a corner after several years of futility, as Randle was dominant at times.
New York Knicks fans are familiar with the sort of rut that the team is in. The Knicks will finish under.500 for the eighth time in nine years. It has been a disappointing campaign for Randle. He has been fined a total of $130,000 this season. No one is going to cry for him since his four-year, $117 million extension kicks in next season.
He hasn't lived up to either figure this season, but he's still posting good numbers. He is not affecting games in the same way as last year. His points, shooting percentages, and other offensive statistical categories are all down, as well as his shooting percentage.
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