Julius Randle's defensive effort was called into question on Monday afternoon after a clip showed the two-time All-Star seemingly waltzing around on a crucial possession late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks loss to the Magic.
The clip, via Tommy Beer, was viewed millions of times, and shows Randle wandering around on defense after missing a pair of free throws that would have given the Knicks the lead. Instead, with just over 2:30 to go in the game, Randle eased his way down the other end of the floor as his defensive assignment grabbed an offensive rebound, eventually leading to a bucket and a three-point lead for Orlando.
The Knicks would go on to lose without Jalen Brunson, as the offense went ice cold down the stretch at Madison Square Garden.
Randle's lapses in effort have always been a talking point in New York, particularly two seasons ago, but he has been enjoying arguably the best season of his career to this point. The Knicks and Tom Thibodeau can only hope Randle's effort on that critical possession is an anomaly the rest of the way.
