NY Knicks: Midseason Daily Knicks roundtable
NY Knicks: Biggest story of the season so far:
Brad Dressler – How can anyone disagree that the biggest story of the year is how well Julius Randle is playing? The man has solidified himself as a bonafide star and he wants to be in New York. Additionally, Randle’s improved three-point shooting is taking the Knicks somewhere no one could have fathomed they’d be right now. Not only that, but his defense, play-making, and leadership have been a dream come true.
Adam Kester – So many to pick from, and while Julius Randle is certainly having the biggest impact, I’m going to go with RJ Barrett. Barrett had such high expectations in his rookie season, and while it wasn’t a “Disappointment”, it certainly was hard to see Zion Williamson and Ja Morant instantly achieve star status. Fast forward a year later, and Barrett looks more comfortable and is actually developing on both ends of the court. The sky is the limit for this 20-year old, who’s already a prominent part of a winning team, one of the biggest markets in the country.
Max Hoover – There are two pretty obvious stories that jump out at you. There’s Julius Randle pulling a Kool-Aid man and kicking through the wall of low expectations that were in front of him before the season started. There’s also Immanuel Quickley adjusting to the NBA game faster than Taco Bell adjusts to your insides. That being said, the story is Tom Thibodeau’s performance as head coach. After his Timberwolves stint, people were concerned he could not connect with today’s NBA. He is silencing all those critics and should be in the discussion for Coach of the Year.
Jeremy Goldstein – Without a doubt, the play of Julius Randle has been the biggest story thus far. Going into the draft I think it’s evident that the Obi Toppin selection, made Randle’s future in New York a bit unclear. Yet, 37 games into the season Randle is averaging around 23 points per game along with 11 rebounds per game and notched himself the first All-Star selection of his career. He’s truly established himself as the leader of this team.