Five games is a blip that will be forgotten in the grand context of an 82-game season.
So maybe it is too early to begin worrying about Julius Randle.
But the sample size thus far has included a lot of missed shots and several discouraging lapses.
The Knicks’ season is barely a week old, but the numbers and the eye test paint a rough picture for the team’s most volatile star.
It is not just that Randle — who shot 45.9 percent from the field during last season’s All-NBA campaign — is shooting a woeful 27.6 percent from the field this year.
It is not just that his 3-point percentage has dipped from 34.3 to 25.8.
It is not just that a bulldozing force who lives at the free-throw line registered his first game without a free-throw attempt Wednesday since last Nov. 20.
It is that his offensive struggles appear to again be spilling into the rest of his game.
During Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers, Max Strus dribbled right by him for a fast-break layup.
On another defensive possession, he stopped rotating, and the Cavs capitalized with an Evan Mobley layup.
When Randle’s shot appears off, often the rest of him appears off — even if he rejects the notion.
“I stay even[-keeled],” Randle said after the loss, in which he missed 12 of his 15 shots and all six of his 3-point tries. “It’ll fall eventually. It’s a long season; 82-game season. I trust the work that I’ve put in on a day-to-day basis, so there’s no point in me being frustrated.”
The Knicks and Randle could point to several more alibis than small sample size.
Randle underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle this offseason, and he couldn’t practice five-on-five until training camp.
There are also tweaks to how teams defend the Knicks, who try to attack often to get points in the paint and kickouts for deep attempts.
Point guard Immanuel Quickley said opponents have been “seeing how they can play us differently” after a run to the second round of the playoffs.
That has meant slacking off and trying to get the Knicks to score on the perimeter.
“We’re just looking at a lot of bodies,” Randle said. “I think whenever we’re catching the ball, driving, we’re just seeing a lot of bodies. We just have to figure out how to open it up.”
After a rarity of a game in which Randle did not drive enough (or did not get enough calls) to earn a free-throw attempt, coach Tom Thibodeau repeatedly said he wanted to review the game film before judging Randle’s shot selection.
But another problem for Randle has been, regardless of the area of the court, the ball has not fallen.
He is struggling on 3s, but on 2s, too, shooting just 28.9 percent.
Shots within 8 feet of the hoop he is hitting at just a 27.6 percent clip.
“Just a rhythm thing. We’re not getting anything easy,” Randle said. “I feel like we’re just working hard for everything right now. We’ve got to find a way to try to make the game a little bit easier for each other out there.”
The now 28-year-old was an All-Star and All-NBA member in 2020, his first season with the Knicks, before taking a step back during a disappointing 2021-22.
Helped by Jalen Brunson’s presence, he rebounded last season and again was an All-Star.
He and the Knicks will hope this step-forward, step-back trend is not continuing into this year.
Maybe this is a poor stretch for a player who has plenty of believable reasons to cite for his struggles.
Or maybe this is a sign that it is time to begin worrying about Randle.
“I don’t doubt Julius at all,” Quickley said. “If you look at what he’s done since he’s been here, maybe two all-NBAs, two All-Stars. Near 60 points in a game.
“He’s probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. I’m sure he’ll bounce back.”
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