Knicks Rumors: Julius Randle's 'Overall Psyche Is of Concern' amid NY's Struggles

The New York Knicks are reportedly concerned with Julius Randle's "overall psyche" amid the team's downturn this season.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported concern began when Randle showed up to training camp in worse shape than last season and has continued throughout the rocky 2021-22 campaign.

Randle was ejected from Friday's loss to the Phoenix Suns after shoving Cam Johnson, the latest in a series of outbursts this season. The 2021 All-Star previously apologized to Knicks fans for giving them a thumbs down and telling them to "shut the f--k up" amid boos in January.

“We have to have the mental toughness to get through this," Thibodeau told reporters Friday after the Knicks' latest loss. “Mental toughness. When you face adversity, being mentally tough is the most important thing to be in any situation. We can’t hang our heads, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to get out there and fight. That’s what this is about right now. This is about our fight, our will, determination, togetherness, our spirit, all of that. We’ve got to make it happen."

The Knicks have lost seven straight and 11 of their last 12 games overall, dropping to 25-38 on the season. They're currently six games out of the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, all but certain to miss a chance at making the play-in tournament.

Randle has regressed from his All-NBA form after looking like a franchise savior a year ago. There were even rumors of the Knicks washing their hands of Randle and making a trade before the deadline, but no deal appeared close. It's clear everyone in the organization will head back to the drawing board after an offseason of mistakes last summer. 

Randle regaining his form may be the most important factor in an improvement next season.