TNT’s Kenny Smith says a changed Julius Randle could make Knicks contenders | Sporting News

For now, Julius Randle is the New York Knicks second star charged with getting the team over the hump.

Randle, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, dislocated his shoulder on January 27 and missed the rest of the season. Randle watched from the sidelines as the Knicks made a run to the second round of the playoffs, but fell short amid injuries to several key players. Many in the NBA world thought the Knicks could have made the Eastern Conference Finals if they were healthy.

TNT’s Kenny Smith believes Randle will be better off from this experience. Smith told The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy that he believes the Knicks could be contenders next season if Randle buys into changing his game.

“I think the best thing to happen is for Julius to get hurt and see that some of the responsibility he thought he needed to have, he doesn’t,” Smith told Bondy. “And some of the responsibility he couldn’t take, he should. And so his game will change next year. And I think it will make him a much better player.”

Smith had been skeptical that the Knicks could challenge the reigning champion Boston Celtics, but now believes Jalen Brunson is a good enough top option, and that he has the help around him to contend.

“You really need personnel to beat the Celtics,” Smith told Bondy. “Right now, [the Knicks] are close. They’re definitely a 4 [seed], a 3 or a 2.”

Te Knicks are expected to be one of the contenders in the East next season, as long they re-sign their key free agents. Randle himself took aim at the Celtics in the Finals, saying the Knicks will hope to take them down next year.

The Knicks got a brief glimpse of what their team can do at full health. They went 12-2 in January following the trade for OG Anunoby, before Randle got hurt on January 27. The Knicks owned the NBA’s best defense and second-best point differential during that 14-game stretch. It’s a small sample, to be sure, but an eye-opening one.

Randle also played some of his best basketball during that stretch, averaging 24.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 47% from the field and 37% from three. The Athletic’s Fred Katz has said that members of the Knicks felt it was some of the most complete, locked-in basketball Randle has ever played.

Randle has often come under scrutiny for holding the ball too long, making ill-advised decisions on offense, and letting his frustration impact his defensive effort. However, Randle played hard during that January stretch and was a willing passer who made quick decisions with the ball.

Smith’s comments seem to imply that Randle will have learned that he can trust his teammates and doesn’t need to carry such a big offensive load to help the Knicks win.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Knicks will look the same come training camp. The Knicks are reportedly pursuing another star in trades, and it’s possible that Randle’s contract could be used in such a deal. Or, if the Knicks do land another star without trading Randle, there will be that much more of an emphasis on Randle to tweak his approach.