New York Knicks star Julius Randle hopes this will be the year he makes the NBA All-Star team. But whether or not it happens, the 26-year-old forward has found the recipe for success with first-year Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne.
“He is going to push you to your limit, further than you think you can go and really help you improve,” Randle said of Payne, who has been his mentor and coach for nearly a decade since their days together at the University of Kentucky. “The biggest thing about ‘KP’ is he wants to see you be the best version of you.”
Randle is averaging career-highs of 23.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season and is on pace to become the first Knick to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a season. He has helped make the Knicks (15-16) a playoff contender in the East.
Randle will find out Tuesday if he landed one of the East’s coveted All-Star reserve spots. If selected, the Dallas native will be the Knicks’ first All-Star since Kristaps Porzingis in 2018.
“It’s something I strive for, work for, for sure, and something I would take pride in, obviously,” Randle said of the possibility of being named an All-Star.
Payne, who…
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