When the New York Knicks faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, it brought back nostalgia for current Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. After the Timberwolves acquired Randle, he made his first trip back to Madison Square Garden since the trade. He told The New York Post about his mentality heading into the regular season despite the sudden change.
“My whole thing has always been since the day I got here is control what you can control. And if that opportunity presented itself, I would’ve been ready for it. It didn’t,” Randle said via Stefan Bondy. “And honestly, I’m really happy and excited and blessed. I’ve got unfinished business here. And that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.”
The Knicks season looked promising before Randle had season-ending surgery on his shoulder. Although the surgery was in April, he suffered the injury in January, which was the height of the Knicks' success. They went 14-2 in the month and Randle himself had six games of scoring 30+ within that time frame. Also, he had 13 games of posting four or more assists within that month.
Randle, along with All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson made quite the duo. As Randle is in Minnesota and Brunson is still with the Knicks, both teams are poised to look very different once the regular season approaches.
The Julius Randle trade could maximize his skill set with the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves could benefit greatly from a playmaker like Randle. After all, they also have a rising star in shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Throughout the season, Edwards took a variety of contested shots and still made a decent chunk of them. Minnesota having someone like Randle can ease the pressure off of Edwards and allow him to play off the ball.
When Randle went to the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau needed him to be more of a scorer. Now, his role could change in Minnesota. He has a dynamic scorer in Edwards but also has some other serious scoring options. His teammate, Donte DiVincenzo proved how he can stretch the floor and score big on any given night.
Randle hasn't played a single preseason game and his availability remains a mystery. Still, the Timberwolves look as dangerous as they did before. Seeing Edwards and Randle play a two-man game could unlock another dimension of head coach Chris Finch's offense. In the meantime, people will have to continue playing the waiting game for the star forward. Regardless, they should expect an aggressive and productive Randle the entire season, barring any setbacks.