Now that the New York Knicks have signed Mikal Bridges and re-signed OG Anunoby, it’s fair to wonder how Julius Randle fits in.
Randle is kind of an old-fashioned NBA player. Although he is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA, he is a hard-hitting power forward who likes to have the ball in his hands, he is a so-so shooter, an inconsistent defender and cannot move to play. he center (or he doesn’t, at least).
That’s a harsh assessment of Randle, who is also an excellent one-on-one scorer and a great passer, but the Knicks are a team that leans toward 3-and-D wings who defend, shoot 3s, cut and make quick decisions. with the ball around Jalen Brunson. Randle doesn’t quite fit the vision.
However, former Knicks general manager Scott Perry, who signed Randle to his first contract with the Knicks in 2019, said in the “Hoop Genius” Podcast that it would be a mistake to trade the qualified forward.
“People seem to forget who Julius Randle is. Julius Randle is the only player on his team who is a three-time All-Star. He is the only player who is a two-time All-NBA. You can’t rush him out of the building. .
“And I love OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, but they’re not players you can run the offense with. They play with other good players, the best players. They’re in their best position playing with Jalen Brunson.” and Julio Randle. Because those are your two guys that can really get baskets against a set defense… Julius Randle, you hang on to him unless you can replace him with another All-NBA player or All-Star. Because without him, I don’t know, the Knicks would still be formidable, but they’d miss a guy who can create offense against a set defense and when things break down and everything wouldn’t have to fall solely on the shoulders of Jalen Brunson.”
Perry brings up a point that was made clear throughout the Knicks’ playoff run: Without a second creator, there was too much pressure on Brunson. Brunson still managed to deliver frequently, even when facing immense defensive pressure, and players like Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo stepped up their offensive production, but that weight eventually got to Brunson.
Randle, for all his imperfections, gives the Knicks a different dynamic on offense, with his inside-outside game. The Knicks can get him the ball to the mid-post, where he can drive his way to the rim, knock down tough one-on-one shots or get the ball to shooters by drawing a defender. Randle is arguably the best Knicks player at creating three-point shots for others.
If Randle can evolve and play more off the ball, make more 3-pointers and defend consistently, he could raise the Knicks’ ceiling.
It would behoove the Knicks to keep Randle around for the season to see how he fits on this reshaped team. But if the Knicks’ offense struggles more than expected, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Randle’s name start popping up in trade rumors.
Check out Perry’s comments below:
“People forget who Julius Randle is… 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA… You can’t rush him out of the building. I love OG and Mikal, but they’re not guys you can run offense with. They play…Brunson and Randle…you’re two guys who can really go get buckets…”
— Former Knicks general manager Scott Perry pic.twitter.com/1MBgtuTuZH
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 27, 2024