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Knicks fans react to Julius Randle preaching accountability at players-only meeting

ByJordanna Clark|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks is greeted by teammates after scoring a basket during the first quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks is greeted by teammates after scoring a basket during the first quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks will start their five-game road trip on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena. The Knicks are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Thunder on Sunday, which prompted Julius Randle to call for a players-only dinner in Utah on Monday night.

It’s no secret that Randle doesn’t have the best reputation amongst Knicks fans. The 27-year-old forward had a disappointing 2021-22 season after he led New York to the playoffs a season before and earned All-Star/All-NBA honors along the way. There was hope that the Knicks would trade him during the offseason, but nothing ever came to fruition.

To start the 2022-23 season, Randle looked like a new player. He seemingly adopted an off-ball role and was finding open looks for his teammates instead of playing iso ball or forcing shots, but as of late, he’s reverted back to the player that fans were hoping to forget.

Not only did the Knicks’ loss on Sunday result in the most points that an opponent has scored since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach, but it was perhaps Randle’s worst defensive performance since he arrived in New York in 2019. The Knicks’ defense (or the lack thereof) has been their biggest issue thus far, which has been odd to see from a team coached by Thibodeau. Fans have been calling for Thibs to hold Randle accountable, but that’s something that has yet to happen.

But perhaps it’s even odder that Randle was the one to assemble a players-only meeting ahead of a challenging slate of games against Western Conference opponents.

Julius Randle organizes players-only meeting ahead of Knicks’ tough road trip slate

While it can be alarming that the team is having to do this at this point in the season, it can be viewed as a good thing. The Knicks need to hold themselves more accountable, right? It’s hard to argue with that, but when fans learned that Julius Randle is the one that called for the meeting, that’s when the perception of the meeting changed.

It is amusing that Randle was the one to call the meeting, considering that part of the reason why the fan base turned on him last year was because of his inability to hold himself accountable. Maybe the meeting was Randle’s way of putting his leadership on display, and hopefully, that’ll translate to the court.

Maybe the Knicks’ players-only meeting will be what propels the team to a win tonight in Utah. There’s a very real possibility that New York could go 0-5 on its road trip, which would presumably lead to the end of Tom Thibodeau in New York.

Let’s see if Julius Randle and the Knicks can practice what they preach.

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