ORLANDO, Fla. — Mike Miller, head coach of the Westchester Knicks, always knew point guard Chasson Randle could score. Miller’s “areas of emphasis’’ during Randle’s D-League stint were to help him improve at defending the pick-and-roll and running a team.
That mission looked accomplished in Monday night’s win over the Magic. Randle, in his first non-garbage-time minutes with the Knicks, adeptly guided the club to a fourth-quarter comeback and certainly a higher standing on Jeff Hornacek’s rotation.
“I was pleased to see him play well,’’ Miller told The Post in a phone interview Tuesday. “I was happy for him and the team. He was able to make an impact on the game. We saw it with us. We saw those things coming together for us. He showed a vast improvement with his defense.’’
Randle posted seven points, five assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes and was a plus-27. By comparison, Derrick Rose, benched the entire fourth quarter, was a minus-23.
With Rose lukewarm about the intricate triangle, Randle embraced it. Known as a cerebral player who loves watching video, Randle ran parts of the triangle at Stanford. Phil Jackson’s organizational strategy is having Westchester run the triangle — more so even than the Garden dwellers.
“What stands out is he’s a sharp guy,’’ Miller said. “He pays attention to detail, has a very good work ethic, very eager to learn. It didn’t matter what it was. He wanted to have a feel and understanding of what was happening. After a game, he’d watch film clips of plays he made or how it played out and get a chance to look at it. He wanted to see those things. You could see the next time out he made a different read. We saw him grow in the time he was here.’’
Miller, who made it a point to show up for Randle’s first game in a Knicks uniform last week at the Garden, claimed to be “happy’’ Randle eventually signed with the Sixers in January. Some members of the organization, however, were disappointed he wasn’t kept on the 15-man roster, even after breaking his orbital bone late in camp.
The Post reported Hornacek wanted to keep him, but team brass was set on defensive forward Maurice Ndour, with Jackson’s top adviser Clarence Gaines leading the push.
Eight days ago, the Knicks released Brandon Jennings after Randle came free again. The Sixers cut Randle to make space for their trade-deadline moves. Now, Randle is expected to get a steady flow of rotational minutes as he and Ron Baker vie for the backup point guard position. If the Knicks fall completely out of the playoff race, Rose’s time may also go down.
Miller says Randle never got down after his release and subsequent 2 ¹/₂ month D-League stint.
“He trusted the process,’’ Miller said. “If he did the right things he’d get a chance. There was nothing negative about his approach. Now his game has expanded.”