OKLAHOMA CITY — Julius Randle could probably use a day off, but not like this.
Randle, on Thursday became the latest Knick to enter COVID-19 protocols, and he will miss the New Year’s Eve game at Paycom Center against the Thunder. Randle, who has been struggling, had not missed a game this season.
Randle, who looked sluggish in his latest outing, Wednesday in Detroit, was benched in the fourth quarter. Now, it has gone from bad to worse.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after Randle’s latest dud that he was “nicked up a bit.” MSG Network’s Wally Szczerbiak speculated Randle has a sore knee, per camera footage.
Randle’s rags-to-riches 2020-21 season has taken a severe turn for the worse. The forward hit rock bottom after shoddy back-to-back performances this week at Minnesota and Detroit, during which he shot 7-for-31 and had seven turnovers and seven assists.
Knicks fans now get their wish for the next few games — Obi Toppin starting at power forward.
When the always cheery Knicks TV network is pounding the franchise’s lone All-Star player, something is amiss. Szczerbiak did just that on MSG Network after the Knicks nearly lost to the Pistons on Wednesday.
Randle — and all the other starters — sat out the fourth quarter because of ineffective play.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Julius Randle — maybe there’s something going on with his knee,’’ Szczerbiak said. “He was rubbing it in the Minnesota game. His body language is poor.
“When he goes to set a screen, he just stands there. Taj Gibson sets a screen to get Immanuel Quickley an open 3. Jules can do the same thing for any guard in that starting unit. But he doesn’t look engaged when he goes to set a screen. He just stands there. It’s part of playing in the NBA.’’
It’s unclear if COVID-19 had anything to do with Randle’s latest outing, in which he was a minus-27 and scored five points on 2-for-11 shooting Wednesday.
Thibodeau was asked by The Post during the postgame press conference if there was something wrong with Randle because he was moving sluggishly.
It should be noted the Knicks had major plane issues while leaving Minnesota after their game Tuesday and didn’t arrive in Detroit for the back-to-back until 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
Randle, who played 71 of 72 games last season, turned 27 on Nov. 29. Since missing most of his rookie season, he has become among the NBA’s most durable players.
“He’s nicked up,’’ Thibodeau said. “I think that he’s giving us everything he has. That’s what I love about him. He’s not making any excuses. He just gets out there, he keeps going.’’
The fans, based on social-media reactions, haven’t been as kind. They appear to be obsessed with his over-dribbling and ball-stopping tendencies that reared their ugly heads in his first season as a Knick.
While Kemba Walker was demoted for nine games, Randle’s minutes have gone untouched.
Presumably, Thibodeau was trying to ride the same lefty power-forward bulldozer that got the Knicks to 41-31 and the fourth seed in the playoffs last season, as well as individual honors of All-Star, Second Team All-NBA and Most Improved Player for Randle.
Toppin, the backup power forward, has proven to be a worthy consideration and it will be interesting to see if he is as good in starter’s minutes, considering his 3-point shooting woes.
Meanwhile, Randle seems as if he has been pressing. He is often seen staring and barking at referees in a pouting way after missed shots instead of hustling back on defense.
Randle verbally attacked the officials for not getting calls after a loss to the Nets on Nov. 30, and questioned their knowledge of the game.
Another NBA talent evaluator has noted Randle’s on-court leadership is lacking.
“That stuff can be cancerous — on the floor or on the bench,’’ the scout said. “After signing that [$117 million] contract [extension], you’d think he’d be a vocal positive leader.’’
It doesn’t take James Naismith to see the ball has moved more freely when Randle is not in the game and the second unit is. That better flow was never more evident than in Detroit when Randle was a minus-27. Toppin was a plus-36.
Randle’s numbers are down. Last season, he averaged 24.1 points, six assists and 10.2 rebounds and shot 41.1 percent from 3-point range.
This season, Randle’s rebounding is on par, but he’s shooting 32.8 percent from 3-point range, averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 assists. His overall shooting percentage is an anemic 41.7 percent — down from 45.6.
On Christmas Day, Randle sounded ebullient, saying he had started to play with “joy and happiness’’ as he and Walker thrived together for one of the few times this season.
On this trip, they had gone back to their early-season dynamic. In fairness to Randle, he was up on his feet cheering from the bench in the fourth quarter when Alec Burks exploded.
“Jules is still trying to find himself,’’ backup center Taj Gibson said. “Jules was phenomenal for us last year. But this year he’s going to do the same thing. He’s our All-Star. We’ve got to find ways to get him going a lot easier.’’
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