NY Knicks: Revisiting Julius Randle’s Rank in the NBA

Back in March, I wrote an article dissecting NY Knicks star Julius Randle’s abilities and comparing his talent to his NBA peers. The objective was to determine where Randle ranked among the NBA’s top players.

Spoiler alert: Ff you haven’t read that article (maybe go look at it real quick before finishing this piece, I promise it won’t hurt to click that link one bit). I came to the conclusion that while Randle wasn’t an outright “elite” (top 10-ish player is my criteria for being elite) player, he is a player who sits a tier or two below elite. Randle is certainly elite in specific areas of the game, but not in the mold of a LeBron James, James Harden, or even Jimmy Butler.

Fresh off securing a spot in the 2021 All-Star Game, Randle was more than deserving of being grouped among the leagues other up-and-coming young players as well as some aging veterans still considered to be stars.

I argued that Randle’s impressive stats and ability to lead the New York Knicks in a more than competitive playoff push granted status alongside guys like Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, Paul George, and Chris Paul. And finally, I came to a personal conclusion of ranking Randle as the 19th best player in the league ahead of players like Trae Young, Rudy Gobert, and Devin Booker.

Roughly 5 months later, the 2020-21 NBA season is long over and the 2021-22 season is right around the corner. Several players, Randle included, have had instances occur since March that should impact where they are viewed in the league’s player hierarchy. Therefore, with Randle’s first season as a star player in the books, I am revisiting the question, “where is Randle slotted in a list of the league’s best players?”