Julius Randle hears the outside criticism as he labors through what has so far been a season of regression, but he insists that the noise doesn’t bother him in the slightest.
It didn’t seem to bother him on Tuesday, when the league’s reigning Most Improved Player went off for 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting in a win over the Pacers, Randle’s first game back from COVID protocols.
Randle declined to speak to the media after Tuesday’s win, but he made it clear at practice on Wednesday that he doesn’t care what others are saying about his performance so far this season.
“Really don’t give a f–k what anybody has to say, to be honest,” Randle said, via the New York Post. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do…So I really don’t give a s–t. I just go out there and play.”
Randle entered health and safety protocols on Dec. 30, with many saying it would provide a much-needed break after Randle shot 7-for-31 over his previous two games, while showing some questionable energy on the defensive end. Randle missed only two games and returned with one of his best performances of the season, but so far, it’s been a season of disappointment. His 3-point percentage is down from 41.1 to 32.7 percent compared to last season, while his scoring is down from 24.1 to 19.6 points per game.
But regardless of what is written or said about him, Randle says his focus is on nothing else but the team.
“That’s for you guys to judge,” Randle said of the media. “My teammates appreciate me, my coaches, organization, Leon [Rose], Wes [William Wesley], Thibs [Tom Thibodeau]. Everyone appreciates me. That’s all I need.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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