Are Knicks enabling Julius Randle’s issues?

Julius Randle’s temper has caused issues for the New York Knicks on more than one occasion this season. There is reportedly a sense around the NBA, however, that the organization has no one to blame but itself.

Randle has been fined three times by the NBA this season to go along with two ejections and 11 technical fouls. Now that this has become a trend, some around the league believe the Knicks have enabled Randle’s behavior through their own, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Bondy notes that coach Tom Thibodeau is known for being demonstrative and combative toward officials, while team executive William Wesley is also known to be quite animated while attending games. The argument is that it is difficult to expect Randle to keep his composure when team leaders seemingly fail to keep it together themselves.

Randle’s latest ejection came Saturday, when he was tossed and ultimately fined for shoving Phoenix’s Cameron Johnson in the third quarter of an eventual Knicks loss. The Knicks do appear to think something is not right with Randle, but do not appear to be pointing the finger at themselves just yet.

Photo: Nov 8, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitchell Leff-USA TODAY Sports