The New York Knicks come into this season with a lot of questions regarding players’ workload. With so many top options now at their disposal following the acquisition of Mikal Bridges, some players will need to take a back seat in order to get everyone involved.
Julius Randle’s role on the Knicks may look different this upcoming season
The player with the biggest unknown coming into the season is Julius Randle. The three-time All-Star is undoubtedly the team’s second-best player, but how he will fit with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges sharing the floor remains to be seen. The Knicks will get Randle involved as much as possible, but he may see some decreased volume on the deeper roster.
SNY’s Ian Begley noted that despite that becoming a real possibility, it does not affect Randle’s feelings about playing in New York:
“The 29-year-old will accept any role that’s asked of him on this Knicks team if it leads to winning,” Begley said. “As SNY noted earlier in the offseason, Randle has been excited about this Knicks team and believes they can make a run. He’s looking forward to being back, healthy, with this group, and thinks things can be special with Bridges. He wants to win and win in New York.”
The Knicks need Randle to maximize their potential
While there is a narrative that the Knicks were better without Randle last season, that simply isn’t true. Even though the Knicks still had a winning record despite his absence, it came at the cost of playmaking and floor spacing. New York had the seventh-fewest assists per game and the ninth-lowest field goal percentage in his absence.
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Getting Randle back on the floor is the difference between the Knicks being a good playoff team versus a finals contender. Randle’s high-level scoring and playmaking make New York a much more dynamic offensive group, and it also gives them another guy to draw attention away from Jalen Brunson.
Randle will be important to making a run at a championship
What Randle’s role looks like this upcoming season remains unclear, and it may take some time for him to adjust to playing alongside Bridges and Anunoby together. However, he is expected to still have a massive impact and be a contributor to a team with Finals aspirations.
