NY Knicks: Can Julius Randle make an All-NBA Team?
By Adam Kester
NY Knicks: The All-NBA race will be tight
While Randle’s season has been nothing short of spectacular, there are some other forwards who we know for a fact will finish ahead of him in the All-NBA race. Let’s start with the reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo has once again put together a herculean season for The Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks may not have a stronghold around the #1 seed as they did last year, but they’re firmly in the top-3 in The East. Antetoukounmpo has once again been at the center of The Bucks’ success, leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists, all while dominating on the defensive end. He is 2nd in the NBA in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) behind only Nikola Jokic. He is a lock.
Then there’s a player named LeBron James. Now, with LeBron James, there are some question marks. James suffered a high-ankle sprain that could keep him sidelined for another few weeks. It’s unfamiliar territory for someone who has been an Iron man throughout his career.
Still, even with the injury, there is no world where LeBron does not get voted onto the All-NBA team. His play has once again been dominant, and he’s the face of the NBA. LeBron’s teammate, Anthony Davis is a question mark for this as well. Davis was voted All-NBA as a center last season despite him playing more minutes as a power forward, so the league could very well do the same thing again in 2021.
After LeBron James, you have to figure Kawhi Leonard is a lock for All-NBA as well. The Clippers are 3rd in The Western Conference and Kawhi Leonard has once again been the commanding 2-way player he’s been for his entire career. Leonard, like James and Antetounkmpo, is a surefire bet to make an All-NBA team.
So now that the obvious is out of the way: Antetokounmpo, James, and Leonard being locks over Randle, how does he fare to other forwards in the NBA? Between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams, there are 6 available spots, and we’ve covered 3 of them. Let’s look at the rest.