Julius Randle and the New York Knicks have greatly underperformed this season. They are just outside of the playoff picture at 17-20 partly because Randle's play has regressed.

Despite the failures, Randle and the Knicks are embracing a tough-minded mentality. They have a majority of the season still ahead of them and their luck with health is shaping up, so they still have the chance to at least return to the playoffs. Still, the frustrations with this season's lack of success have been real.

RJ Barrett took a shot at the Knicks' detractors last week. Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, Randle did the same, but in NSFW fashion.

“I really don’t give a fuck what anybody has to say, to be honest,” he told reporters Wednesday when asked what it’s like to handle the more difficult parts of stardom, which include constant judgment from fans and media. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say. So, I really don’t give a shit. I just go out there and play.”

He made it clear he doesn’t pay attention to the articles, radio hits, tweets, posts, comments, television segments, and if he’s like the rest of us, chain emails from his aunt that break down the Knicks’ troubles.

“Why?” he asked, waiting for a response from the inquiring reporter. “Does it matter?”

The Knicks look nothing like last year's team that shocked the league. Their defense is no longer elite and their offense remains ugly thanks to their offseason upgrades not offering much and Randle and Barrett taking a step back. They have several issues to fix and will need to remain focused and unbothered by outside noise in order to address them.