“Are they supposed to be throwing confetti at you?” - Chris Broussard reacts to reports of Julius Randle trying to "James Harden" his way out of the Knicks
Julius Randle's recent attempts to move away from the New York Knicks were discussed in Thursday’s episode of “The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard & Rob Parker.” Broussard explained how Randle simply will not be able to "James Harden" his way out of the Knicks.
Julius Randle trying to "James Harden" his way out of New York
Chris Broussard gave some information on Julius Randle's situation with the New York Knicks:
“Of course, the fans are upset. You made the playoffs last year, and this year you’re six games out of the play-in. Are they supposed to be throwing confetti at you? Come on, Julius, don’t go out like this. It’s not a good look.”
In last year's playoffs, Randle averaged 18.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. The Knicks were bounced in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks in five games.
This season, Randle is averaging 20.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 5.1 apg. Although his averages are similar to those from last year's playoffs, his game has not been effective enough to translate into wins for the Knicks.
New York (34-43) is 11th place in the Eastern Conference and has been eliminated from the playoffs.
Chris Broussard said:
“Julius Randle, Rob, it’s a bad situation there. He’s being booed by the fans and not talking to the media. … Some thinking he’s trying to force his way out, a la James Harden.”
Harden has become the example of players who want out of their squads. After forcing his way out of Houston to join Brooklyn in January 2021, he did the same a year later to get to Philadelphia. Players are starting to see Harden's approach as a strategy. The problem with Randle doing it, as Broussard said, is he simply is not at the caliber of Harden
Broussard said:
“Here’s my thing with Randle ... I mean this as a statement of fact. This is not trying to be insulting or anything. He’s not good enough to act this way. He’s not. He’s a one-time All-Star. And we don’t like it when James Harden does it, when Ben Simmons does it, but Julius Randle?”
Broussard's comments may sting for Randle fans, but the truth remains. Harden is a bigger star and is going to draw more attention from teams who want him. By tanking and forcing his current team to lose interest in him, many other teams still look at him with objective value.
After such a poor season, Randle stands with less pull than someone like Harden. Randle's season last year was great but was also more surprising for him as a player than anything. Teams will be looking at how the Knicks got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs and didn't make the postseason the following year. That's not a good look for Randle.