3 things Julius Randle needs to do to bounce back from a disappointing 2021 NBA Playoffs campaign
Julius Randle was a quick riser in the NBA world last year, winning the 2020-21 Most Improved Player award and making the All-NBA team. He was a major reason why the New York Knicks reached the NBA playoffs after eight long years, spearheading Tom Thibodeau's offense.
But Randle has a 2021 postseason to forget as the New York Knicks crashed out of the playoffs in the first round. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks in five games, capping a rather positive season on a disappointing note.
Three ways Julius Randle can improve his performances in the 2021-22 NBA postseason
Julius Randle averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game in the series against the Atlanta Hawks, a far cry from what he averaged during the regular season. The Hawks were able to contain Randle with relative ease, and here are three things Randle needs to work on to ensure it doesn't happen again -
#3 Randle will need to improve his shooting in the postseason
The three-point shooting was what elevated Julius Randle's game to All-NBA level, but the same trait brought his downfall against the Atlanta Hawks. A dead-eye shooter for his position, Randle converted 41.1% of his attempts from the deep in the regular season, but that mark fell down in the playoff series.
Randle only made 27.8% of his pull-up threes against the Hawks, which explains why his numbers were pedestrian against the eventual Eastern Conference finalists. He still managed to convert his catch-and-shoot threes at an efficient clip of 40%, but it wasn't enough to justify poor performances.
If Julius Randle wants to improve his numbers and take his team home in the playoffs, shooting would be a great area to start with. Even if Randle manages to replicate his regular-season shooting accuracy in these crunch games, he should be good enough for the New York Knicks to win a few NBA playoff series.
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