Madison Square Garden Will Host a Knicks Playoff Game For the First Time Since 2013
In what is becoming the best New York Knicks season in recent memory, Julius Randle is poised to lead them to the playoffs for the first time in 8 seasons. The last time the Knickerbockers were in the playoffs was in the 2012-2013 season when they lost in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against Paul George’s Pacers. The Knicks were led by all-star, all-NBA 2nd team finisher, and league leader in points, Carmelo Anthony. Melo’s historic season also landed him 3rd place in the MVP voting that season. Following that memorable season however, New York went a combined 184-374 (32.9% winning percentage) over the next 7 seasons.
While Julius Randle’s season is not one to be getting MVP consideration, one thing is for certain, he is carrying the Knicks back to relevancy. Currently on an 8-game winning streak, the Knicks have climbed all the way up to the 4th seed in the East. In this span, Randle won Eastern Conference Player of the Week and averaged 30.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game, while also shooting 42% from deep. He is imposing his will on his opponents and drawing the most fouls of his entire career in this stretch, attempting 8.8 free throws a game. Not only that, but he is making them at an 87% rate to go along with it, making him one of the best go-to guys in the league in the 4th quarter.
There Isn’t a Contest: Julius Randle is Our 2020-2021 Most Improved Player
Julius Randle is the MIP this season. He just is. While Jerami Grant and Christian Wood have had nice “good stats-bad team” seasons, Randle has gotten better and his production has actually contributed to winning. Take a look at his progression:
2019-2020
Points Per Game: 19.5
Rebounds Per Game: 9.7
Assists Per Game: 3.1
3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 27.7%
Player Efficiency Rating: 17.5
2020-2021
Points Per Game: 23.6
Rebounds Per Game: 10.5
Assists Per Game: 6.1
3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 40.1%
Player Efficiency Rating: 19.9
Why Has Randle Been So Impressive This Season?
For one, his playmaking is elite for a guy his size and he has been incredible at getting his teammates involved. As the Knicks’ highest usage player and his great court-vision, he has been able to double his assist numbers this year. The other major improvement that we have seen this year is his 3-point efficiency, jumping up a remarkable 13% from last season on higher volume. Randle has slowly but surely developed into a deadly jump-shooter, a skill that was not present as recent as the beginning of last season.
In addition to those improvements, Julius Randle has gone from a mediocre defender to a great defender under coach Tom Thibodeau, improving his defensive rating from 112.2 last season to 106.7 this season. His offensive rating also rose significantly going from 104.5 to 111.5 this year. Essentially Randle has improved every facet of his game, ultimately earning his first all-star nod this season and is a borderline all-NBA guy if he continues his current production down the stretch.
Randle is not alone in this. Tom Thibodeau is a definite coach of the year candidate, RJ Barrett is making improvements, and the front office acquired Derrick Rose, who has been amazing, via trade. NBA Journeymen Alec Burks, Elfriid Payton, and Reggie Bullock have all also had surprisingly productive seasons for the Knicks. With all that being said, Julius Randle still leads his team in points, rebounds, and assists. The only two other players who do that for their respective teams are the former MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and this season’s projected MVP, Nikola Jokic. That is definitely good company to be in and it is clear that Randle is the biggest key to the Knicks ending their playoff drought.