NY Knicks: The Top 3 Options to be The Defensive Stopper

Do you think Julius Randle can step it up even more on defense?

Let me start off and say that since I think Julius Randle got burnt out by Thibodeau at the end of the year, the last thing Randle needs is another responsibility on the court (Or more responsibility off the court since his wife just had their second son, Jayce. Congrats to the Randle family!).

Julius Randle‘s emergence as a top player in the NBA and leading the Knicks to their first playoff berth in 7 years overshadowed the vast defensive improvements he’s made.

Last year, Randle was 6th in defensive rating out of all players who played enough to qualify for a rating.

The only people ahead of him were Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons, Clint Capela, Draymond Green, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Three of those guys have won Defensive Player of the Year, while Simmons and Capela are also top NBA defenders.

Randle could be a stopper in certain moments, as the Knicks’ offense has improved enough that he should have some of the load taken off of him.  There will be matchups where based on size he will be the right choice.

You cannot stick anyone else on guys like LeBron James or Kevin Durant.

The size and versatility make it impossible for either of them to be guarded by anything other than another forward.

Though Randle should not take on any excess of responsibility, there will be times, especially late-game situations, where Randle’s defense will be needed more than his offense.