Getty Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson celebrate during the second half against the Boston Celtics.
After having rattled off two consecutive victories over conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, respectively, the New York Knicks find themselves boasting a solid record of 27-23 and, as a result, sit soundly in the seventh seed in the standings.
However, though excitement is certainly at a high level amongst the franchise’s fanbase following their triumphant overtime victory over the shamrocks on January 26, big man Julius Randle put their current streak into perspective during his post-game media session.
“We can beat anybody. We can lose to anybody,” Randle said, per The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
A very dry Julius Randle on what consecutive wins against the Cavaliers and Celtics says about the Knicks: “We can beat anybody. We can lose to anybody.”
While a two-game winning streak following four straight losses is certainly an impressive accomplishment, the Knicks could have very easily seen both of their most recent contests also ending in such fashion, as each was ultimately decided by three or fewer points with New York seeing themselves relinquish double-digit leads late in the fourth quarter.
It’s been proven that Tom Thibodeau’s squad is good enough to compete with just about anyone on a nightly basis, but considering their point differential of 2.04 coupled with their just slightly north of .500 record, they are far from being considered a “safe bet” when it comes to securing a win, while simultaneously being a team one can feel confident in writing off.
Randle Has Been Electric for Knicks
Despite the fact that the Knicks have dropped four of their last six contests, Julius Randle has been an absolute revelation for the team throughout this span, and, frankly, dating back to late November.
From November 29 onward, the 28-year-old has been found posting phenomenal averages of 27.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists on 46.1% shooting from the floor and 35.3% shooting from distance.
Randle’s play has been so profound that he finds himself making a serious case that he’s worthy of receiving his second career All-Star nod, with Fred Katz reporting that he recently received 20 votes to take part in the illustrious exhibition by other players throughout the league.
Knicks who received All-Star starter votes from players:
Jalen Brunson (23)
Julius Randle (20)
Derrick Rose (9)
RJ Barrett (4)
Jericho Sims (1)
Immanuel Quickley (1)
Quentin Grimes (1)
During the Knicks’ current win-streak Randle is putting up averages of 36.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists on a highly efficient 52.2% shooting from both the field and beyond the arc.
Knicks Looking to Make Moves
As the final stretch of the 2022-23 NBA trade season approaches, the New York Knicks have been reported as highly active on the trade market and have been linked to several potentially available talents across the association.
The Knicks were comfortable offering multiple first-round picks for OG Anunoby at the end of November
The talks were not at advanced stage at that point (via @IanBegley) t.co/meKdW6Tnbr
Perhaps the most noteworthy name viewed as a realistic target for the Knickerbockers is Toronto Raptors two-way wing OG Anunoby, who Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley called someone Leon Rose and company should “offer up anything in their asset collection” for.
Report: Trade prices for O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam considered a ‘s–tload’
While the asking price for the 25-year-old is “a s***load,” SportsNet’s Michael Grange reported in early January, considering their treasure trove of draft assets coupled with their bevy of young talents still attached to rookie-scale contracts, many expect that the Knicks could be one of the more likely organizations to swing big on a deal for Anunoby.
Other names that have been found linked to the franchise of late have been Toronto guard Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee guard Grayson Allen and Jazz guard Malik Beasley.