“Alongside Randle’s shooting is his ability to
pass and create on the floor.
Last season, the Knicks tried several dual point-guard lineups in an effort to get more creation on the floor. Now, with the addition of Randle, Pelicans teammate Elfrid Payton, and rookie wing R.J. Barrett on the roster, the Knicks have two additional players who can move the ball and find open shooters.
With a career 15.4 assist rate and an 3.1 assists per game last season, Randle has shown the ability to find the open man when the ball is in his hands. That ultimately means that New York could put new wing players Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock on the floor, and Randle could find them to help create space on the floor.
Randle’s ability to find open players also removes pressure off of Dennis Smith Jr. in an important season for the third-year guard. Lineups with Smith and Randle together would offer Smith a strong offensive threat to lean up, as well as another creator who could continue to move or re-establish the offensive if need be.
Taking a peek NBA.com’s passing tracking data, Randle mostly found himself passing to the Pelican point guards—Jrue Holiday, Elfrid Payton and Tim Fraizer. He also found Darius Miller a ton, resulting in Miller shooting 42% from three-point range on Randle’s passes. Someone like Ellington, Bullock, or even Damyean Dotson could be said beneficiaries of Randle’s passing.
In an offseason pivot, the New York Knicks ultimately added a quality big man in Julius Randle. While Randle comes with his own defensive woes, his offensive prowess takes pressure off of his fellow teammates. His passing, namely to point guards and open wings, will benefit several players on the roster, while his budding ability to space the floor could create a solid balance for New York’s offense.
As the Knicks attempt to navigate keeping a clean cap sheet for a star player pivot and adding talent to win games, Julius Randle is a perfectly fine player who could assume a larger role in October, thanks to his multidimensional offensive game.”
-Quentin Haynes