2. Not trading Julius Randle
Fans have all the respect in the world for Julius Randle. However, if the Knicks want to take their window of contention seriously, then he cannot be on this team. At the very least, he cannot have as big of a role as he’s had in previous years.
The regular season numbers Randle puts up are cool and all, but the way he completely falls apart in the playoffs both as a player and from an emotional standpoint is unacceptable. While there’s always a possibility that he finally gets it together, it’s not nearly worth the risk of keeping him around.
It’s doubtful that New York could send him off directly for another star, but even if the team can just get a more consistent two-way forward who’s a better fit, they would benefit. It’s hard to replace the numbers he put up in the regular season, but come playoff time those numbers always fade and it’s better to have a role player you know you can depend on.
Leon Rose and the Knicks cannot continue to waste the time of both fans and the team by allowing Randle to continuously stink it up in the playoffs with no consequences. Fans should wish nothing but the best for him, but for the sake of his career and the Knicks’ championship hopes, Randle must go.