NY Knicks: 3 players who must step up to make noise in the playoffs

The NY Knicks have fluctuated up and down the Eastern Conference playoff picture over the last few months. The team has found itself as high as 4th and as low as 8th in the standings and will be fighting for positioning in the upcoming weeks leading up to the postseason.

The team has been streaky in 2021. Close games against great teams, close games against lowly teams, playing injured opponents, dealing with injuries themselves – The NY Knicks have been a rollercoaster.

NY fell into some uneasy territory at the beginning of the month when they lost close games to The Brooklyn Nets and The Boston Celtics, while also dropping a game to the league-worst Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the Knicks have bounced back to the tune of a 5-game winning streak where they have looked reenergized. If they want to make some noise in the playoffs, the NY Knicks are going to need to show they can close out close games and get consistent individual performances from a lot of players.

The NY Knicks need consistent performances from their key players

If we’re talking about players who have a significant impact on the game night in and night out, look no further than Julius Randle. Randle has been the leader of this team on and off the court, and there is no Knicks game that doesn’t have Julius Randle’s fingerprints all over it. After Randle…?

There have been so many strong individual performances from the Knicks this year and it’s hard to be upset with how anyone has played. Yet, here are looking to make a charge into the playoffs, and the team is going to need its’ key players outside of Julius Randle to pour in big performances every single game. If The Knicks want to be a true threat in the playoffs, which players need to step up the most?