The Knicks’ season is over after losing Game 6 of the East Semis to the Miami Heat on Friday and if you ask the fans, it’s all Julius Randle’s fault.
Video surfaced online of fans outside Madison Square Garden defacing, tearing down, and then stomping a poster of Randle.
#Knicks fans deface and stomp on Julius Randle wall piece in MSG ? pic.twitter.com/YYl4sdfV9l
— uSTADIUM NBA (@uSTADIUMNBA) May 13, 2023
Look on Twitter and everyone from noted sports figures to fans will share the same sentiment.
I’m sorry but Julius Randle ain’t it! Knicks gotta pivot from him
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) May 13, 2023
Knicks fans to Julius randle every elimination game pic.twitter.com/czNKQM84DT
— jimmy?(like limited) (@TroIIedByJimmy) May 13, 2023
“IM TELLING YOU IF JULIUS RANDLE SHOWED SOME HEART, THE KNICKS WOULD HAVE WON.” pic.twitter.com/B1qGH5abta
— Barstool New York (@BarstoolNYC) May 13, 2023
It’s hard to blame anyone for being frustrated with Randle, really. He shot a pathetic 3 of 14 in Game 6 and his overall performance in the series was uninspiring. He at least had the excuse of recovering from a sprained ankle in the Cleveland series and Game 1 against the Heat. Worse yet, he actually had a solid Game 5 and gave everyone hope he’d show up in Game 6.
Not so much, and Randle’s signature nonchalance is officially a problem. The playoffs are the games that matter, where legends are born. RJ Barrett’s 1 for 10 showing in Game 6 was far worse than Randle’s on paper, but he at least showed up the rest of the series. He was Jalen Brunson’s reliable co-pilot.
Julius Randle, meanwhile, just took up space.
Granted, lost in the noise here is just how much of a success this season was for the once lowly New York Knicks. Going from a regular lottery team to Game 6 of the East Semifinals is a big accomplishment. New Yorkers just dream big in the playoffs, same as every fan base.
Rather, everyone is rightfully mad at Julius Randle for arriving to an important playoff series and, in a nutshell, acting like it was the regular season. 18.8 points per game and shooting a shade above 41% from the field won’t cut it and even Randle has to know that. The question is if he even cares.
Needless to say, Leon Rose has some decisions to make this summer.
