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Coach Thibs says that we could see Julius Randle more at the 5 when asked how the team will go about replacing Isaiah Hartenstein



by Joetheshow1

22 Comments

  1. Joetheshow1

    Death lineup of Jalen, Donte/Hart, Mikal, OG, and Julius closing games will feed families

  2. Makes sense imho.

    All other players should prepare for his missile passes from now! I can’t count how many times Randle passed the ball so quick that the receiver was just not ready for it.

  3. abippityboop

    LOVE this, and think it’s actually feasible with OG’s ability to defend 5’s.

  4. as long as randle is enthusiastic and his conditioning allows it, randle at the 5 appears to me to be better then precious and jericho. it gives the offense at the very least more optionality and we gonna need that for 2nd unit lineups.

  5. Soggy_muffins55

    This is the best news I’ve heard all summer, what every Knicks fan has wanted since we lost ihart. God bless emperor Thibs

  6. Dylan7346

    YES THANK YOU LORD! I knew this would happen tho people assume Thibs is so stubborn and that’s why he didn’t play Jules at the 5 but it just didn’t make sense with the previous roster, we did not have the size/versatility to make up for defense nor did we have the shooting to even space out effective small ball. I’m surprised to hear 10-15 minutes tho that’s a long time

  7. knowtoriusMAC

    That’s impossible. The NBA scouts on this sub said the Knicks would never run a lineup like that. Maybe Thibs should consult them before opening his mouth to the media?

  8. rmccarthy10

    I personally love this idea and thought it was pretty clear that would happen anyway… we have a brilliant defensive mindset as a team.. there’s maybe five centers in the league that I don’t think Randle could handle on his own.. he’s just too strong. And when we happen to play one of those centers, **we have the best defense in the league**. IDGAF if we’re playing joker.. He’s gonna have a tough time being doubled by Randle and Anunoby

  9. I wonder what his role on defense will be as the 5. From what I remember, the few times he played the 5 last season he was a traffic cone in the paint. I can’t remember one time he altered a shot. OG Anunoby makes more sense as a defensive anchor imo.

    BUT with this new roster and new expectations, maybe we’ll see a new side of Randle defensively. More willingness to hustle, quicker decision making like we saw with him on offense January. Still even then, Randle has a below average wingspan and vertical, two important physical traits for a smaller center. I’m not hopeful but it makes sense to try out the fit.

  10. dreamvomit

    This is actually big news and great to know Thibs and the staff are already strategizing how to get the best 5 on the floor and make it work. Brunson Julius Mikal OG Donte has a chance to be just nasty on offense, and solid on defense if Julius can make the right rotations. I assume OG will guard centers most of the time in that lineup. Julius will have to be a help rim protector

  11. Chrisser6677

    7 seconds of Death: Kolek, Brunson, Bridges, OG, Randle

  12. Fishmike52

    Y’all killed me when I said this before. It’s gonna happen in crunch time. Once we are healthy Mitch might finish but I expect the above line up more in the last 3-4 minutes.

    However Jules is only playing center on offense… it’s gonna be OG playing it on D. Especially with shooting centers who are playing on the wing or high post… OG is the guy. We saw this on Embiid vs Phili with great effectiveness. We saw it vs. Turner as well in Indy.

    It’s gonna be tough call for Thibs who finishes regarding Donte vs Josh. Pretty sure he loves them both like children. Wait till he meets his new kid Mikal. Oh boy.

  13. ben_twiener

    Thibs really had this reputation as the old school coach who is set in his ways. I guess he’s old school in that he holds his players accountable and expects maximum effort.

    He’s definitely not going to reinvent the wheel, but he has shown time and time again that he’s willing to make changes that benefit the team. Even if Randle at the 5 is a disaster, we can be sure Thibs and the FO will adjust. Trust and believe.

  14. i think randle at the 5 creates clear offensive advantages, but hes also far from a rim protector. i wonder what the defensive scheme is for randle at the 5. does it change, or do we hope that the wing and perimeter defense is enough to make going inside consistently a hassle? idk, but im excited to see how it works

  15. YanksJetsKnicks

    Make so much sense! Can’t really close games with Mitch due to his FT shooting. Randle at the 5 seems like the answer, especially since OG and Mikal can both guard up. Also gets Divo or Hart on the court for additional spacing or rebounding.

  16. bailaoban

    Doesn’t that kind of increase his injury risk?

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