Knicks Legend Makes Surprising and Bold Prediction

The New York Knicks could have an MVP on their roster, but it may not be who you expect.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 13, 2024

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Former NBA players Larry Johnson (l), Johns Starks (c) and Bernard King (r) watch game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have an All-Star in power forward Julius Randle, but there's reason to believe he can take another step in the 2024-25 campaign.

In a conversation on Knicks Fan TV, former Knicks All-Star Larry Johnson spoke about Randle's potential, and he has high expectations for the 29-year-old.

"Them two, from what I've seen, they have a great rapport as teammates," Johnson said of Randle and Jalen Brunson. "If we can just keep that up, I think the sky's the limit for Julius, even MVP for Julius."

Before suffering a shoulder injury in late January that required season-ending surgery, Randle played in 46 games for the Knicks, averaging 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as he made his third All-Star team in four years.

While Randle didn't end up playing at the All-Star Game in Indianapolis due to injury, he cemented his status as one of the best forwards in the NBA last season. He started off slow, but quickly began to put things into motion and piece together a sound season for the Knicks. However, in order to become the league MVP, he'll have to take things into another gear once again.

If anyone on the Knicks is going to be the MVP, it should be Brunson after he emerged as one of the best scorers in the game last season. It would be hard to imagine Randle taking over the role of the team's top scorer from Brunson this season, especially when the ball is more likely to be in the point guard's hands.

That being said, Randle still has a ton of potential that hasn't been fully realized, and as he approaches a contract year, he is going to do everything in his power to ball out for the Knicks.

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Published Sep 13, 2024

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.