The Knicks were widely expected to get laughed all the way down to the bottom of the standings this season while Julius Randle inefficiently produced flashy statistics but failed to suitably serve as a leader for his young teammates. Alas. Tell God your plans and such.
Nay, what was forewarned has not come to pass. Instead, Randle has flourished under new head coach Tom Thibodeau, playing like a man with a plan instead of a chap who looks like crap. The Knicks are 5-4 and technically tied for 5th in the East. They’re a few days removed from an impressive victory over the Utah Jazz in which Randle posted a ridiculous 30 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists, and even in Friday night’s ghastly loss to the Thunder, in which Randle didn’t play very well overall, he nearly notched a triple double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 7 dimes.