(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks seemingly took the next step last season after not only advancing to the playoffs but also advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2013.
However, the Knicks’ journey was stopped in it’s tracks by none other than the Miami Heat as they eliminated them in six games.
Considering the Knicks’ performance last season, the fanbase expected the team to pick things up from where they left off, but the organization is struggling a lot this season.
Julius Randle’s disappearance is a crucial reason behind the team’s struggles.
The media is evidently extremely critical of Randle, but his teammate Jalen Brunson defended him via Steve Popper on Twitter.
“It happens. It’s part of basketball,” Brunson said of Randle.
Jalen Brunson on Julius Randle: pic.twitter.com/q2QYVUp4cK
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) November 4, 2023
Randle is currently averaging an underwhelming 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for the Knicks this season.
Moreover, he’s shooting a measly 27.1% from the field and 22.5% from downtown.
Last season, Randle put up 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game, as he earned the second NBA All-Star appearance of his career.
It was no surprise that the Knicks finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 47-35 record last season.
But as Brunson explained earlier, going through a slump is part of playing basketball, and Randle will snap out of it in the future.
With that being said, the Knicks will hope that Randle can get going sooner rather than later.
After all, they currently have an abysmal 2-4 record, which places them as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference to start the season.
The post Jalen Brunson Defends Knicks Teammate Amid Recent Struggles appeared first on The Cold Wire.