NY Knicks: 4 Reasons Julius Randle Deserves MIP Award
By Max Hoover
NY Knicks: How Does Julius Randle’s Production Compare to Previous Seasons?
Let’s start with the big picture production information and then get more granular.
Points? He’s up from 19.5 per game last year to 23.6 per game this year. It’s the highest average of his career.
Rebounds? He’s up from 9.7 per game last year to 10.6 per game this year. It’s the highest average of his career.
Assists? He’s up from 3.1 per game last year to 6.0 per game this year. It’s the highest average of his career.
I feel like you’ve got to be picking up on the pattern here.
His effective field goal percentage is only up slightly according to Cleaning the Glass, but when you break down a few specific data points, you really start to see how he’s improved his shooting.
Randle has jumped from the 61st percentile to the 77th percentile in long mid-range jumpers. His percentile growth is also way up in all the three-point shooting categories.
Do you guys give up or are you thirsty for more?
One of my favorite stats is NBA Math’s Total Points Added, and that stat really cements Randle’s case for the MIP award. Historically, Julius Randle’s average TPA is a -12.87. This year, Randle is at 140.52.
That dramatic increase is good enough to put Randle at 14th in the entire league.
Again, maybe the conversation shouldn’t be whether or not Julius Randle deserves the MIP award, but actually if he deserves to be an All-NBA player.