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Knicks All-Star's 2K Rating Causing Controversy

Some New York Knicks fans took offense to Julius Randle's initial rating for NBA 2K25.

Geoff Magliocchetti

Oct 28, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts after a call by referee Matt Kallio in the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts after a call by referee Matt Kallio in the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports
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New York Knicks fan believe that those in the NBA 2K realms don't have a handle on Julius Randle's skillset.

As 2K begins to unveil its official player rankings for the latest release of its long-running NBA simulation video game series, some Knicks fans have taken issue with how it had judged the two-time All-Star: according to rankings displayed by the official social media channels, Randle will begin as the game's 48th-best player, coming in with an overall tally of 85.

While Randle continues to hold a somewhat polarizing reputation among Knicks fans, some of whom question whether he can be among the headliners of a championship run, almost all were taken aback by his relatively low ranking.

KnicksMuse, a Knicks fan page well known for collecting New York stats and data, noted that Randle sits behind Cleveland star Evan Mobley despite besting him in several major statistical categories. Mobley beat out Randle for the final spot in the ranking of the game's top 10 power forwards, a list topped by Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Another user, @TobeSoprano, took offense to Randle being stationed behind breakout talents like Scotte Barnes and Franz Wagner. Placement behind Wagner, currently starring with the Orlando Magic, also irked @MoreViral_Marc, who invoked a GIF of an incredulous Michael Jordan to voice his displeasure.

Disparaging Randle is perhaps one of the most prevalent examples of recency bias in modern NBA analysis: the sixth-year New Yorker has rendered his dreary showings in the 2021 postseason and the ensuing playoff-free campaign after long-forgotten, having reached the NBA All-Star Game in each of the last two showings.

Randle injuries, however, have eaten away at each of the Knicks' last two playoff appearances. He returned from an ankle injury endured late in the 2023 regular season but was clearly not the same for the Knicks' dozen playoff games. He has not taken the floor for the Knicks since January after a shoulder ailment prematurely ended his season.

Dooming Randle to the 48th-best spot in the game, however, feels like an unnecessary punishment for injuries beyond his control. Some may lose track of Randle's gamechanging abilities because he's not part of the famous "Nova Knicks" contingent but they do so at their own risk: over the past two seasons, Randle has earned 24.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, both of which appear in the top 25 among all NBA participants in that span.

"NBA 2K25" is set for a worldwide release on Sept. 6.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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