After the game, Thibodeau was quick to praise Randle as an extremely important part of what the Knicks are doing, although there are nights he doesn’t score as much.
“He’s our engine,” Thibodeau said. “He plays very tenaciously, and there are a lot of hard play he is making, but he is also playing very selflessly. If he cuts and you’re open, he’ll hit you. He can handle the ball, he has excellent ball skills. I think those guys are very hard to protect and the shooting of him has improved. I thought he was looking wide open but this year he shot the three very well so that makes him harder to defend and he can beat you fast. I think when you put the centers on him, he can take them away from the basket and then break them from the dribble, or if they come close to him, he can take the shot. So, he’s really doing a lot of things for us.
“And then on the defensive, the rebound, the multiple effort, we ask him to also play at the backup center right now, so he’s doing everything. Playing big minutes, he comes the next day and works, he takes care of his body, great with recovery, great in film sessions, and it’s the kind of leadership that is invaluable for a team. “