NY Knicks: 3 Reasons Why Julius Randle Deserves MVP Votes

NY Knicks forward Julius Randle was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, topping off a huge week for the Knicks, who have now won eight games in a row.  Randle averaged 35.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 6.5 APG.  On the season, Randle is averaging 23.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 6.1 APG on 46.1 / 40.3 / 80.2 shooting. He is a force on both ends of the court, as he’s become a top-tier defender on the best defense in the league. After a brief post-all-star break slump, Braided Randle is back and better than ever.

As the NY Knicks sit as the #4 seed in the East, New York’s star forward’s MVP case must be looked at.

NY Knicks: Julius Randle is getting recognition

Randle is beginning to receive some recognition in the MVP race in the national media.  Kendrick Perkins tweeted that Randle has risen to third in his rankings.  On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons said Randle could fill the fifth spot on his ballot.  He talked about Randles consistency, saying that he’s the only player the Knicks can rely on game after game.  Fox Sports’s Jason Smith went so far as to say that Randle should outright win the award:

"If you take Julius Randle away from the Knicks the Knicks would have won maybe nine games this year. Not that he’s a better player but he is more important to the Knicks than Nikola Jokic is to the Nuggets… Who affects his team’s win total the most? That’s where Julius Randle stands alone."

To call Randle the MVP over Jokic may be a bit of hyperbole, but Smith’s larger point is true.  Randle is as important to the Knicks as any other star is to his team.  In any discussion of the most valuable players this season, he must be in the conversation.  Here’s why.