Julius Randle's ball distribution habits bothering Knicks teammates

It seems that New York Knicks center/power forward Julius Randle is a bit like Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving.

Randle's lack of ball distribution has reportedly frustrated R.J. Barrett and his Knicks teammates, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

“A lot of players felt like that with the exception of Elfrid Payton,’’ an NBA source told The Post.

Randle signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Knicks, but the pressure of being New York's No. 1 guy was too much for him to handle.

“You can’t argue with his productivity,’’ an Eastern Conference personnel man told The Post. “But he was in the wrong role. He absolutely should not be your No. 1 or even No. 2 option, maybe not even No. 3 on a serious contender. He doesn’t have a good enough feel, [and is] much too ball-dominant. I don’t trust his decisions with the ball. As sixth man, he would fit perfectly because I don’t think he gives you much defensively either. That’s more in line with a sixth-man role."

Randle is just 25 years old, but he's played for a losing team in all of his six NBA seasons. Is he part of the real problem in New York? Or do they need to surround him with the right players to make things work?

Before the NBA hit pause on the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Randle was averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 46% from the field and 27.7% from three-point range.

While his stats aren't abysmal, the former first-round pick needs to be better if the Knicks ever want to get out of the hole they have dug for themselves.