Comparing Julius Randle to other great Knicks power forwards

Carmelo Anthony carried the Knicks for years

I mean… who else? In the 2012-2013 season, Anthony played power forward and played like a man possessed.  Melo averaged 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Carmelo Anthony was the only man who seemed like he could duel it out with Lebron James, who was at the peak of his power.

The Knicks had a more talented roster in 2013 than they do now, but the Knicks were not making the playoffs without Anthony. This is why Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe did not vote for LeBron James to win MVP, voting for Anthony instead.

The argument to say that Randle has had more of an effect than Carmelo in Melo’s year as a power forward is that Randle has led a worse team that had no expectations. The 2013 Knicks were expected to play well. The 2021 team was supposed to be a lottery team.

Randle has taken off to a level of stardom that New York has not seen since Anthony, and he has carried this team here. Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News said that the way Randle has carried the Knicks is similar to “the way Patrick Ewing carried them.”

Neither the 2013 or 2021 Knicks would have been contending teams without their respective stars, so their impact was about even on the specific year. Overall, Carmelo Anthony has 7 years and 7 all-star appearances, giving him an edge at the moment.