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Julius Randle has not been named the Knicks’ captain, but he is referred to several times by coach Tom Thibodeau as the leader of the team.

And Randle believes after 10 games, he hasn’t done enough leading. He feels the Knicks’ record should be better than 6-4 entering Monday’s encounter with the Sixers in Philadelphia.

The Knicks have the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. Randle thinks that standing should be higher. Their record at the Garden is 2-3 with losses to the Magic, Raptors and Cavaliers.

Randle is not happy with the defensive effort — and sounded like he was pointing the finger at himself there, too.

One NBA scout said Randle has been a bull on the offensive end but hasn’t shown the same frenetic effort on D he did during last season’s renaissance when the Knicks’ defense was No. 1 in the NBA.

“I’ll take accountability,” Randle said after Sunday’s loss to Cleveland. “I’ve got to be better. As the leader of the team, I’ll be better. I gotta talk more. Play with more energy.”


  Julius Randle during the Knicks’ loss to the Cavaliers on Nov. 7, 2021. Jason Szenes Julius Randle during the Knicks’ loss to the Cavaliers on Nov. 7, 2021. Jason Szenes

When asked specifically what he had to do better as a leader, Randle said, “On the court, in the huddles. Whatever it is, I’ll be better, more vocal. Naturally, I’m not a vocal person. I try to lead through my energy and my will and how I play and body language — all that type of stuff. If I got to talk more, whatever it is to get wins, I’m willing to do. I’ll take accountability and for me, I’ve got to be better for us to get wins.”

Thibodeau didn’t seem too concerned about Randle’s vocal leadership.

“I’ve always been a big believer that I’m more about the actions than the words,” Thibodeau said. “He’s done a good job with the way he works. That’s the most important thing. As a team we were disappointed the way we played.’’


  Ricky Rubio (r.) drives by Julius Randle (l.) during the Knicks’ loss to the Cavaliers on Nov. 7, 2021. Jason Szenes Ricky Rubio (r.) drives by Julius Randle (l.) during the Knicks’ loss to the Cavaliers on Nov. 7, 2021. Jason Szenes

In the Knicks’ three losses at the Garden, they have allowed 110, 113 and 126 points, respectively.

In Sunday’s blowout loss to the rising Cavaliers, rookie power forward Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick in the draft, had his way against a soft Knicks defense in notching 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting.

Mobley thoroughly outplayed Randle, who scored 19 points but was a minus-22 and shot 1 of 5 from 3-point land.

“I’m not sure, man,” Randle said when asked about the defensive slippage. “I think it’s our edge, it’s our mindset coming into games. Knowing who we are and consistently doing it. I was talking to Evan [Fournier] after. You can feel there’s a difference. When we are into it and we’re trying to really win the game and our edge and our fight is there, you can feel it out there on the court.”

The knock on the Knicks’ offseason moves was they traded defense for offense in signing Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier as the starting backcourt to replace Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock. But Walker didn’t even play Sunday as he sat the first game of a back-to-back.

“I think we just got to get used to each other,” said Randle, named to his first All-Star team last season while winning the league’s most improved player award. “I think it’s our energy, our fight, our will. Trying to understand that’s who we are first. I said it from the very beginning [when] I talked to you guys on the first day of media day; I said we’ll be fine if we play defense. That’s just really what it is. Offensively we’ve got enough talent.”

While Randle is averaging 21.6 points, his efficiency on offense is down too. He’s shooting just 42.5 percent (33.9 percent from 3). Last season, Randle posted percentages of 45.6 and 41.1.

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