Knicks: 3 reasons why Julius Randle deserves to be an All-Star Reserve
By Allen Settle
Julius Randle’s impact on the Knicks as a team is maybe as Knicks’ recent legend, Carmelo Anthony
Julius Randle’s emergence as the go-to guy in NYC has also resulted in team success during the young season. After failing to post a winning record or earn a postseason spot since 2012-2013, the Knicks currently find themselves with a promising 14-16 record. If the season ended today, they would have earned the 6th seed in the postseason and be headed toward a first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here at Daily Knicks, we believe that Julius Randle is a core piece on the roster, and should be further built around over the next few seasons.
If the former Kentucky superstar continues his dominance, the young roster may very well find themselves in the postseason for the first time since the Carmelo Anthony era.
This has also given the franchise its first legitimate shot at a star player since the Kristaps Porzingis experiment failed. After several seasons of relying on fringe talents like Enes Kanter, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Marcus Morris for significant contributions, the team may have found a player capable of carrying a significant load.
The plan at the beginning of the season seemed to be to build up their young core while seeking a star via the 2021 NBA Draft. This, combined with current top prospects like RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, and Kevin Knox, represented the most likely chance at filling the star void. If one of these players developed into an All-Star, the team would have a legitimate building block. If two or more hit, they would have a young core with the potential to propel them to a new era of contention.
However, the recent star turn by Randle may have escalated the process by several seasons. While his ceiling seems to fall short of an MVP level, he has clearly established himself as a star. His emergence gives the Knicks another young building block.