Knicks’ biggest breakthrough happened — and it had nothing to do with the win

Entering the New York Knicks’ five-game road trip against Western Conference opponents, some believed that the team would go 0-5. Well, with two games under their belt, the Knicks are 2-0 with wins over the Jazz and Nuggets.

Ahead of New York’s game against Utah, Julius Randle called a players-only dinner on Monday. One day after the Knicks let the Thunder drop 145 points at MSG, the 27-year-old veteran forward preached accountability. That news drew an expected reaction from the fan base, who have a love-hate relationship with Randle.

But based on how the team has performed in its last two games, it appears as if Randle’s decision to get the players together has paid off, especially for him. New York hasn’t won in Denver since 2006, and on Wednesday night, the 2020-21 version of Randle came to play and changed that.

Randle had one of the best two-way games of his Knicks career. He finished with 34 points (11-for-21), 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 32 minutes.

The 2020-21 version of Julius Randle showed up for the Knicks in Denver

During the offseason, fans were desperate to see Julius Randle traded, but New York ended up not making a single trade. At Media Day, a version of Randle showed up that wasn’t the same person that was around last season. He seemed positive about the season that lay ahead and the smile that he had on his face displayed that.

In the Knicks’ first few games of the season, Randle did what fans were hoping for, which was to adopt an off-ball role. That soon changed though, as Randle started to show more flashes of the player that he was last season. Things were made worse by Tom Thibodeau’s use of Obi Toppin, whose minutes have been limited by Randle since he was drafted in 2020. As Toppin continued to excel off the bench, the fan base grew more frustrated with Randle.

But on Wednesday night in Denver, even Randle’s strongest critics had nothing negative to say. And as for his teammates, well, Jalen Brunson summed up the win perfectly.

The last thing that fans should want is for this season to mirror 2021-22, and a key part of that not happening is Randle. Between the leadership that he showed by calling a players-only meeting to leaving everything that he had on the court at Ball Arena, maybe Julius Randle and the Knicks are turning a corner.

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