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?”
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.
NY Knicks: Ranking Julius Randle
It is important to once again mention that despite Randle’s unquestioned talent and ability, there are still quite a few players he definitely slots behind. Even with one All-NBA season under his belt, there are still many players who have done the same multiple times and are among the NBA’s elite.
My “elite” players are as follows: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler. In no particular order, those are my top 13 players, which has gone unchanged since I made this same list in March. Randle is not quite on the same level as these players, who are all more talented and or accomplished than Randle.
Once again, as with the last article, I will group Randle in the tier below the elite. Randle I would say is arguably anywhere from 14th-20th. After giving it much consideration based on the outcome of the 20-21 season, the players that I believe have the edge over Randle are Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Chris Paul, Trae Young, and Devin Booker. In the case of Tatum, he continued to be one of the top two-way players in the league and was still a great player despite the Celtics’ shortcomings. Each of the other four players also maintained all-star play while additionally adding incredible playoff success to their portfolios, an area where Randle struggled mightily.
That means that Julius Randle, in my opinion, is the NBA’s…
*drum roll*
Nineteenth best player!
— Daily Knicks (@DailyKnicksFS) May 29, 2021
Yeah, I know. I disappointed myself with this one, too.
Ironically, being as unbiased as possible, I can’t rank Randle any higher than 19th once again. This is not to say that I am only ranking him this high because he is a Knick, by the way. I truly believe he has an edge over players like Bradley Beal and Donovan Mitchell. Beal and Mitchell were players who I previously ranked above Randle.
Each of them, for me, has been overtaken by Young and Booker. The former two guards were more accomplished than Randle at the time. The latter two guards are now just as accomplished as Randle, Beal, and Mitchell, and I think the talent of Young and Booker exceeds that of the other three. Randle is a more complete player than Mitchell or Beal, so this time around I’m ranking Randle higher.
From a talent standpoint, the only other player I can see having a legitimate reason for being ranked higher than Randle and these other similarly touted players is Towns. KAT is not as accomplished, but is one of the most incredibly skilled players in basketball. However, due to a lack of winning and his durability being a major issue, I rank Randle ahead of him, too. Randle posted remarkable numbers and efficiency last year.
And so, Randle is still just a top 20 player IMO even after building on the success he had midway through the season. This speaks more towards the immense talent at the top of the NBA than it does to how good Randle is per se. His ability is something that could have ranked him higher among players in a different era. Even had Randle been playing at this level 5 years ago, he would probably be considered in higher regard. The star power and depth of the modern NBA is disgusting (in a very good way).
Here is to Randle going forward with more seasons like this. I’m sure he will find himself in a higher ranking very soon. And when the time comes again to reevaluate Randle’s NBA standing, I promise to not rank him 19th again.