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

NY Knicks: Julius Randle’s Resume

Now that the outcome of Randle’s complete 2020-21 season is cemented, it will be easier to rank him alongside other players.

At the time of the original article, a lot was still yet to unfold for Randle and the New York Knicks. There is new context available for us to understand his impact and worth. Randle prior to this season had zero NBA awards or accolades to his name. And yet, in just one year he has compiled a resume that most pros only dream of. He is not only an all-star but a recipient of the Most Improved Player Award and he earned All-NBA honors as a member of the second team.

So, as far as last season is concerned, Randle was officially one of the 24 best NBA performers and was also a part of an even more exclusive club having received the designation as a top 10 player and top-six forward. Not to mention Julius was the best player on the 4th seeded team in the Eastern Conference while composing a stat line (at least 20 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5 APG) you only see as commonly from guys like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Domantas Sabonis.

Everyone has their own opinions, but there is much more of an argument than not for Randle being top 20, and at the least top 25. I believe the former title is a given. I said he was 19th five months ago before he accomplished all of the listed feats besides the all-star appearance. Therefore, it can be argued that Randle has potentially put himself even higher on the list of the NBA’s current top players. With that context now given, let’s once again narrow down his placement to a specific number.