NY Knicks: 4 Reasons Julius Randle Deserves MIP Award
By Max Hoover
Where Were the NY Knicks Supposed to be and where are they Actually?
21.
That was the number according to Forbes.
23.
That was the number according to Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.
24.7.
That was the number according to the outlet in Bristol.
30.
That’s the number as of April 17th with 15 games left to play.
The New York Knicks have far exceeded expectations no matter what metric you use, and Julius Randle has been the primary factor.
The key sign of a truly transformed player is not just that you have improved your own play, but that you have also elevated the team around you. Randle has clearly done that.
The Knicks are currently on a five-game win streak, which is the longest since 2014. Randle’s play has elevated the team and ignited a fanbase that isn’t quiet during bad years and is borderline insufferable to the opposition during good ones.
This current win streak is the sixth time this season the team has won at least three consecutive games. It only happened twice last year. It only happened once the year before.
What’s also fascinating is that Julius Randle has never been part of a team that has won at this rate. The Knicks have won 52.6% of their games this year which is easily the highest number of Randle’s career.
His stats aren’t just empty. They are significantly impacting a playoff team.