New York Knicks Must Have Julius Randle 'Seesaw Experience' End

Julius Randle needs to be more consistent if the New York Knicks wish to advance further in the playoffs.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 9, 2023

In this story:

New York Knicks

If the New York Knicks are to make another deep run in the playoffs, Julius Randle will have to play at his highest level. Randle has been one of the team's headliners over the past four seasons, but as he enters his fifth year with the Knicks, consistency is more important than ever before.

"He regained his All-NBA form during the 2022-23 regular season, averaging 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists as an all-around weapon for a squad that challenged for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs," Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal writes in naming Randle one of the Knicks' players with the most to prove. "Then he put up a massive stinker in those playoffs, looking completely lost and ineffective on the offensive end."

"The seesaw experience must end expediently."

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle / USA TODAY Sports

Teams in the postseason usually live and die by their star players, and Randle is no exception with the Knicks. Now working with Jalen Brunson and some of the league's top role players in Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, the Knicks have as good of a chance as they have had to make a deep run in the Eastern Conference. However, it will come down to Randle's performance when it's all said and done.

Randle will have moments where he is clearly the best player on the floor shortly before or after he blends in with the crowd and looks average. If he can tighten those peaks and valleys, the Knicks' chances of being a true contender grow exponentially.

The Knicks begin their four-game preseason schedule against the Boston Celtics on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Published Oct 9, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.