Julius Randle is doing far more than just showing up these days

news jalen brunson julius randle Bonus Code

Back when he was best known for being the original celebrity NBA fan, watching the fabled Knicks of the early 70s do their thing night after night, Woody Allen unwittingly lent a voice to describe one of the cornerstones of a future generation of Knicks.

Eighty percent of success, he said, is showing up.

With the rate of inflation, and given the way load-management protocols seem to flummox the NBA at every turn, that figure is probably closer to 92 percent now, especially as it applies to Julius Randle. Randle can be many things as a basketball player, and to Knicks fans who endeavor nightly to watch him they can often be contradictory.

Often within the same game.

Sometimes in the same possession.

But make no mistake about Randle: he shows up. He plays. Monday night in Los Angeles he twisted his ankle in the first quarter. Shook it off. At halftime he needed four stitches to close a bloody lip. Shook it off.

Later, he hit the 3-pointer (with Anthony Davis in his face) at the shot-clock buzzer that essentially cliched a 114-109 win for the Knicks, allowing them to fly home with a 2-2 Western swing ahead of Wednesdays first intramural squabble with the Nets at Barclays Center. It underlined a terrific night for Randle when he had 27 points and 13 rebounds with a plus-17 rating, often doing battle head-to-head with LeBron James.

Julius_Randle_is_doing_far_more_than_just_showing_up_these_days 3 Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) dunks the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. APScratch it out, gut it out, Tom Thibodeau said.

The Knicks coach was referring to his teams gritty effort, but he was clearly swayed by Randles, too. Randle is one of the most curious stars weve ever had around here, in any sport. There are nights when the Garden is so frustrated by him, the boos spill out of every corner most recently in the middle of their most recent game at Madison Square Garden.

But as they were finishing off the Raptors that night, Dec. 11, Randle stepped to the free-throw line with 13 seconds to go at the end of a 34-point, eight-rebound, five-assist night and was serenaded with an extended chant of M! V! P! And thats not the first time hes felt and helped inspire the Gardens extreme schizophrenia.

Julius_Randle_is_doing_far_more_than_just_showing_up_these_days 3ulius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks looks on during a game against the Lakers. NBAE via Getty ImagesAll I know, Jalen Brunson said a few weeks ago, is that we seem to win an awful lot when Julius is playing well. And I dont think thats a coincidence.

What the trip west offered was a tour-de-force for both the Knicks All-Star Emeritus (Randles earned the honor two of the past three years and is gathering testimony for another) and their All-Star-in-Waitin (if Brusons 50-point splurge against the Suns didnt clinch him a spot yet, it put him in a hard-to-refute place). Its a reminder of just how essential the Knicks two best players are.

But its lately been a further reminder of exactly how important Randle is to the formula, for all the deserved praise heaped on Brunson. Randle, unquestionably, can be a frustrating player. When he tries to shoulder too much offensive burden he can be a turnover machine. There are brief intervals on the court where he seems to lapse into laziness, and often those spasms happen at the worst possible time, and with a camera lasered on him.

Thats the ironic part. Fans can react viscerally to those fleeting interludes but they hardly represent the spirit of Randles game, which is grounded in durability and sneering his way through aches and pains and bruises and strains. He plays. He works. He shows up. If that sounds like damning with faint praise well, look around the league on every given night. Look at how many players are sitting in civvies without a cast or a walking boot.

Beyond that, when Randle is playing at his optimum level which is to say rebounding, using his staggering array of inside moves, taking open 3s and not forcing passes his is a beautiful game to watch. Thats true merely with the eye test. But its also borne out in his production. Over his last 11 games this is Randles average output: 27.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, shooting 57.1 percent from the floor.

Given how poorly he began the season through six games he was shooting just 27.1 percent its an especially relevant stretch, and proof that he may have shed the one-year-on, one-year-off pattern hed established across his first four seasons here.

Julius_Randle_is_doing_far_more_than_just_showing_up_these_days 3Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the LA Clippers. NBAE via Getty ImagesWhats the answer? What changed? Playing to my strengths, Randle said in Phoenix last week. Understanding spots on the court where I can either get a high-percentage shot or they double me and I can kick out and play-make for my teammates. While I can shoot the ball and make a ton of 3s, I understand who I am as a player, what my strengths are.

Starting with this one: showing up for work, every day, lunch pail in hand.

How many decks are used in poker?

In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).

What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?

The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.