Julius Randle has found the answer to his biggest Knicks red flag in Minnesota

The befuddling inconsistency plaguing the Knicks against the Celtics [https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/newspress-collage-5sr0ljg17-1747349392269.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1747335019&w=171&h=114&crop=1] The befuddling inconsistency plaguing the Knicks against the Celtics [https://nypost.com/2025/05/15/sports/the-befuddling-inconsistency-plaguing-the-knicks-vs-celtics/] https://nypost.com/sports-plus/ On the other side of the bracket, a story has developed that should intrigue and maybe surprise Knicks fans. Julius Randle, the former playoff bust in New York, emerged as a two-way force [http://ON THE other side of the bracket, a story has developed that should intrigue and maybe surprise Knicks fans. Julius Randle, the former playoff bust in New York, emerged as a two-way force during the Timberwolves run to the Western Conference finals. The 30-year-old just tortured Draymond Green in the second round, averaging 25.2 points and 7.4 assists as Minnesota eliminated the Warriors in five games. In the previous round, Randle outplayed LeBron James. That’s two future Hall of Famers bested by Randle, who credited T-Wolves coach Chris Finch when asked about the improvements to his game since leaving New York. “I just always said that Finch has been great. From the day I got here, I knew what kind of coach he was,” Randle said. “And he has just done an amazing job of using all my tools. I don’t want to necessarily just want to be a scorer or a rebounder or whatever it is. He puts me in positions to be multiple different things, many different things on any given night. He’s really just opened up my game.” There were no mentions of Tom Thibodeau, but it’s safe to say Randle has a preference. The developments with Randle and the Timberwolves, in general, remain relevant to the Knicks, even if they won’t admit it. After trading for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks could’ve easily tried to run it back with a healthy Randle and Donte DiVincenzo while figuring out a lower-cost solution at center. Instead, they traded for Karl-Anthony Towns, and the first important verdict can’t be reached until the end of these playoffs. In the meantime, however, both sides are looking pretty good. Towns had an All-Star regular season, and though he’s often underwhelmed in the playoffs, the Knicks entered Friday one victory away from their first conference finals since 2000. The Timberwolves accomplished their goal of unloading Towns’ big contract and are back to the same spot as last year — the conference finals — with Randle and DiVincenzo as top contributors. It didn’t look so positive for Minnesota early in the season, when its record was average and Randle, in particular, was struggling. But he adjusted while recovering from injury in February, Randle said, and there was a point when Minnesota won 13 straight with him in the lineup. “I think it’s just the environment. The coaching staff. My chemistry with my teammates, their belief in me,” Randle said. “My belief in them as well. I just think environment matters, and I think since I got here since Day 1, they’ve been special. “Everybody.” Finch coached Randle previously in New Orleans and advocated for a reunion. His faith is paying off in the postseason. “I was steadfast in my belief that Julius was going to help this team when it mattered most,” Finch said. “We’ve talked about it a number of times, it’s a trial and error process like most things are. But I never really doubted the fact that he was exactly the player that would help us in moments like this. So we just had to get to moments like this.” The Knicks, of course, had a different Randle experience in these big moments. He bombed in two postseasons, including a 2021 first-round exit and a 2023 run that was encumbered by ankle injuries. Still, Randle was arguably playing his best in his final games with the Knicks, when the team was in the midst of a stellar regular-season month of January and the power forward suffered a season-ending dislocated shoulder. “That team was incredible, man,” Randle later told The Post. “I feel like that was the best basketball I had played up until that point in my career. Not just numbers, it was the flow. “It was like — it was crazy, man. We went into every game expecting to win. Teams would hang around and we would end up winning by like 20 points. It felt like we were starting to get super dominant. We had everything. And everybody’s game was going to the next level. Chemistry was dope. It was unfortunate the injuries happened. “But that team was incredible.” It was also an undefined dynamic at the top. Jalen Brunson was emerging as the team’s best player, but Randle had been there previously as the top dog and was the franchise’s lone All-Star in Brunson’s first season. In Minnesota, Randle arrived after Anthony Edwards and appeared more willing to defer on the court. It certainly worked out in these playoffs for Randle, an unrestricted free agent this summer who shot 50.9 percent in the first two rounds. In 15 playoff games with the Knicks, Randle shot 34.4 percent while averaging fewer points with fewer assists and more turnovers. Now it’s reasonable to ask this question: Could Randle face the Knicks in the NBA Finals? It’s mid-May, and that remains a possibility.] during the Timberwolves run to the Western Conference finals. The 30-year-old just tortured Draymond Green in the second round, averaging 25.2 points and 7.4 assists as Minnesota eliminated the Warriors in five games [https://nypost.com/2025/05/15/sports/julius-randle-leads-timberwolves-to-series-clinching-game-5-win-over-warriors/]. In the previous round, Randle outplayed LeBron James. That’s two future Hall of Famers bested by Randle, who credited T-Wolves coach Chris Finch when asked about the improvements to his game since leaving New York.