All Star Game: 3 Players Who May Beat Out Knicks’ Julius Randle

New York Knicks’ forward Julius Randle is playing at an All-Star level. Any person who legitimately follows the NBA this year would tell you exactly the same thing.

His numbers are truly otherworldly. Through 30 games, Julius Randle is averaging 23.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 50% from two-point range and 40% from three-point range per Basketball-Reference.

The list of players to average 20/10/5 with 40% from three-point range is long.

Get ready for it. It’s extensive.

It’s Julius Randle and Larry Bird. 

That’s it. Those are the only two players to post those types of numbers in NBA History.

What’s even more mind-blowing is that Julius Randle is doing all that with the exact same usage rate he had last year. His role may not have changed significantly, but this coaching staff has gotten him to a place of being much more efficient with the touches he has. He’s bringing Toyota-sedan levels of efficiency to his role as team leader for the New York Knicks.

Which slides perfectly into my next point. Numbers might also be the second most important piece of this conversation. Julius Randle has become the leader for a team that is currently 7th in the Eastern Conference. No one gave this team a shot at relevancy let alone the playoffs this year, but Randle’s play is the catalyst for everything else we have seen.

If I was about to take a Mike Tyson uppercut to the jaw, I feel like I’d want some warning first. This is that warning, Knicks fans, because here comes the bad news.

There’s still a pretty good chance he won’t make the All-Star team.

The NBA released the weighted voting results after announcing the starters last night. Randle came in 7th in the Frontcourt. If you operate under the assumption there will be six frontcourt players and six guards from each conference to ultimately make up the draft pool, it would appear that Julius Randle, despite his historic numbers, will be left on the outside.

I’ll explore three potential players I would not be surprised to see make the All-Star Game ahead of Julius Randle.