Julius Randle and The New York Knicks | NBA
Often referred to as the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden hosts NBA’s most valuable franchise, The New York Knicks. The Knicks are currently the 4-seed in the east, just a game ahead of the 5-seed, Atlanta. No one saw this coming. 2 years ago, when KD and Kyrie decided to sign with the Brooklyn Nets as opposed to the Knicks, several fans and were disappointed as they had to “make do” with Julius Randle, an above average player at the time who was struggling to find his fit.
The Knicks have failed to make the playoffs since the 2012–13 season when Carmelo Anthony led them to their first division title (Atlantic) in 19 years. Their owner, James Dolan, has faced much criticism for their failure for not making the “right basketball decisions” over the years and has also been accused of being downright dysfunctional. But does a front office really affect the performance of the team? It does. A front office is usually composed of two sides, the business operations side and the basketball operations side. The head of basketball operations is usually responsible for the selecting the players and making the team “mesh well” by forming a near-to-perfect cohesive group who’s games fit together to make a deep in the playoffs and eventually try to contend for a championship. So what went wrong for the Knicks? The Knicks appointed former legend and coach Phil Jackson. Yes, the same guy who won 6 championships as a coach with Jordan (Chicago Bulls) and 5 as a Lakers head head coach with Kobe. During his tenure, the Kicks went 80–166 and also finished with their worst ever regular season win-loss record of 17–65. In a nutshell, things haven’t gone according to “plan” since 2013, but it has changed a lot this season.
Julius Randle, the former Laker and Pelican has been absolutely obliterating defenses this year, averaging a double-double with 24PPG & 10RPG to go along with 6 assists and nearly a steal, all career-highs. Additionally, he leads the league in minutes played per game with 37.3 MPG and is making use of every opportunity he gets to shine on the court. He has upped his 3-point percentage too, this year, shooting 42% with 135 made 3-pointers and also made an All-Star team for the first time in his career. Why is that such a big achievement for him? Well, he made only 27 three-pointers on 27% 3-pt FG percentage in his first three seasons COMBINED. Apart from possibly making an All-NBA team, Julius has a great chance at winning Most Improved Player as well, for the reasons I just mentioned.
Playing for the Knicks also has its own pride to go along with it, but also expectations. Being in decline since 2000, after the Patrick Ewing era ended, the fans desperately want something to look up to and Julius has given them that something.
We cannot overlook the job Tom Thibodeau has done either. Setting up a culture for his players with Randle leading the way. Julius is the first one to enter the practice arena and also the last one to leave, as per Thibodeau, and is setting a great example for the younger players they have on that roster. Tom and Julius led New York to their first winning season since 2013 and boy do the fans love it. In a recent interview with ESPN, Julius credits the front office, and Tom for being his support system last offseason and what helped him get ready for 2021. Additionally, After a conversation with Kobe Bryant, Julius started late night workouts in the gym and his work ethic has been contagious throughout the team. According to Julius, discipline and preparation have been the key factor for his breakout year. Furthermore, his coach, Tom, holding him accountable has also been one of the major factors for his success. He says, “No other coach I’s rather go to war with”.
So the current situation looks good for the Knicks but what about the future? Randle is probably top 5 in the MVP conversation right now and his contract for next year isn’t even guaranteed. He has a $19.8M non-guaranteed contract for 2021–22 out of which just $4M are guaranteed. For a long term contract, he is eligible for a 4-year $106M extension, which is guaranteed, this offseason. Yes, a top-5 MVP candidate without a max contract is rare. However, according to ESPN, he could also wait, enter free agency and be eligible for a projected 5-year $201M extension in 2022 (either with the Kicks or some other team). The Kicks will definitely sign him long term after the season he’s had. He has a big decision to make.
If NY make the right moves, draft well, and be consistent, they have a good shot at making the playoffs and contending every year for the next 5 years. Not only will this do good for the fans, but also to the NBA as a league. As many players have said, the league is better off when the most valuable team is winning.
