MEMPHIS, Tenn — The “growth” of Julius Randle, as he sees it, is manifested in a stat that is less about basketball and more about human relations.
Technical fouls.
Or more specifically, the amount of techs related to treatment of referees.
Knicks fans who’ve followed Randle through his 4 ¹/₂ seasons understand this journey pretty well.
The power forward has, at varying points with the Knicks, blown fuses over calls or non-calls, unwilling to accept an explanation or mistake from the stripes.
It resulted in a few meltdowns, four ejections over three seasons and fines upon fines.
But Randle seems to have reinvented himself in that category for this campaign, just as he’s reinvented his offense by eschewing 3-pointers for pounding the paint.
Nearing the halfway point, Randle has received just one tech for jawing at officials, a ratio the 29-year-old is quite prideful about.
“Hell yeah. Absolutely,” the All-Star told The Post. “It’s more about me personally than it is about anything else. Letting me know that as a human being I’m growing and learning how to deal with frustration better.”
“Frustration” is like a key word for Randle.
There were times with the Knicks that it boiled over and affected other aspects of his NBA universe — whether it was his defensive effort, body language, relationship with fans, interactions with coaches and, most relevantly, tolerance of officiating.
The low point was the 2021-22 season, when Randle was ejected twice and racked up $63,000 in NBA fines, according to Spotrac.
“That was a hard year all the way around. So I think a lot changed for me from that year to the next year, and the tech thing is something I’ve always tried to work on,” Randle said. “It’s tough for me because I play so physical. And sometimes my strength is a disadvantage, you know what I mean? So it’s tough but just learning how to play through that, learning how to communicate a little bit better with the officials.”
It sounds like a simple fix but also difficult to follow in the “heat of the moment,” Randle said.
He has to tell himself, “Julius, calm the f–k down, move on.”
“Subconsciously,” he added. “You have to move on. Let go. So as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned how to move on a little bit more and let go.”
Then there’s just basic compassion for the officials.
“I think it’s more just treating them like humans, understanding they make mistakes, we make mistakes,” Randle said. “And being able to have a conversation with them rather than screaming or acting out or whatever is because you’re frustrated.
“Or acting like a kid.”
There is evidence of the mature approach being helpful. Randle has only paid out $4,000 in fines this season, according to Spotrac, a good distance from the $31,000 he was docked in 2022-23, the $63,000 in 2021-22 and the $44,000 in 2020-21.
His other three techs this season were for flopping, hanging on the rim for too long and a minor kerfuffle with the Clippers’ Terance Mann.
Josh Hart ($10,000) and Jalen Brunson ($8,000) lead the Knicks in fines this season.
Beyond the money savings, Randle speculated that congeniality with the refs has translated to more beneficial whistles.
“I’ve kind learned how to toe the line while being respectful,” Randle said. “And I feel like I’m averaging more free throws than I ever have, so maybe it’s working out.”
Toeing the line is an art form mastered by coach Tom Thibodeau, who rarely gets techs despite regularly and loudly dissenting referees’ decision-making.
As someone in NBA personnel explained, Thibodeau neither makes it personal nor crosses the line with his baritone protestations and, at this point, gets the benefit of the doubt, or “the Jerry Sloan treatment.”
As Randle suspected, he entered Saturday night averaging a career-high in free-throw attempts with seven.
Further evidence that throwing tantrums doesn’t help.
That doesn’t mean he has to always agree, though.
“Yeah, it might [help me get free throws],” Randle said. “But today I feel like I should’ve gotten more.”