Julius Randle isn’t looking back or dwelling on unfinished business in New York.
That chapter was closed by the Knicks.
“It’s finished now,” Randle, a member of the Timberwolves, said Sunday. “I got unfinished business where I’m at.”
Randle, whose five seasons at the Garden represent the franchise’s best stint since at least Carmelo Anthony’s, had been excited about the opportunity to recreate the success of last season’s January, when the Knicks owned a 14-2 record and were close to fully healthy.
But Randle, who dislocated his shoulder at the end of that month, was traded to Minnesota in a summer shocker, and the opportunity to run it back was eliminated.
“My whole thing has always been since the day I got here is control what you can control. And if that opportunity presented itself, I would’ve been ready for it. It didn’t,” Randle said. “And honestly, I’m really happy and excited and blessed. I’ve got unfinished business here. And that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.”
Randle, who can become a free agent after the season, still hasn’t played since suffering the dislocated shoulder and was inactive for Sunday’s preseason contest against the Knicks.
He’s expected to be ready before the regular season, however, and is eager to demonstrate his passing skills as a secondary scorer next to superstar Anthony Edwards.
Randle said the circumstances in New York forced him into a greater scoring role.
“I’ve always liked to say I’m more of a passer than a scorer,” said Randle, who averaged 22.6 points on 17.7 shots during his Knicks career. “That’s what I genuinely like to do. That’s how I grew up playing basketball. The situation here in New York, [Tom Thibodeau] needed me to score more, and I took on that responsibility. And Jalen came along, and he took a little bit off of me, as well. But I enjoy playmaking. That’s what I enjoy doing.
“And [Minnesota coach Chris Finch] is putting me in many different positions to play-make. And I’m excited to be able to show that. Not just from the post, getting double-teamed. Finch is moving me all over the floor, allowing me to be able show that stuff. I’m excited about that.”
Randle’s stint in New York had ups and downs, defined by three All-Star selections but also struggles in the playoffs and intense scrutiny from the fans.
Put another way: He might’ve been booed one night and received “MVP” chants the next.
Asked what advice he’d give Karl-Anthony Towns about handling the market’s expectations, Randle, who got better at ignoring negativity in his final two seasons with the Knicks, said, “Just think of basketball. Just stay locked in. Stay in the moment. This place tends to make things bigger than what it may seem like at the time.”
The 29-year-old didn’t want to predict the reaction when he again plays at the Garden — “I’ll let them decide that” — but acknowledged it’s “cool” to return to the famed court.
“This place right here,” Randle said when asked what he’d most remember about playing for the Knicks. “It was a blessing to be able to play here every night.”