Knicks Mailbag: Can Julius Randle Help New York Win a Title?

SNY’s Ian Begley will respond to Knicks questions from readers. Here’s the latest…

What do you think of Julius Randle and do you think this team has a chance at a championship with him? I think so, but others disagree. – @EverythinKnicks

I have a lot of thoughts about Randle. Here are a few that come to mind: The Knicks would not be in the position they are without him. It’s important to note when talking about Randle’s Knicks tenure: He came in free agency when no one else would, he faced intense criticism from fans and media in his first Knicks season, and instead of succumbing to the noise/pressure, Randle bounced back and had an All-NBA season in 2020-21, leading the Knicks to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

If you’re reading this, you probably already know how things unfolded over the next three seasons.

The Knicks now have a championship-caliber roster. They are led by Jalen Brunson. As good as Randle is, it’s fair to wonder if there are enough shots to split between him, Mikal Bridges, OG AnunodoorBrunson, Donte DiVincenzo and the rest of the selection.

These are some of my thoughts on Randle.

Another thought: The 29-year-old will accept whatever role is asked of him on this Knicks team if it leads to winning. As SNY noted earlier in the offseason, Randle is excited about this Knicks team and believes they can make a run. He’s excited to be back healthy with this group and thinks it can be special with Bridges. He wants to win, and he wants to win in New York. (The frustration he recently expressed on social media was genuine. But it was in response to the false idea that the team wasn’t selling his jersey at Madison Square Garden.)

To answer your second question, @EverythinKnicks, I believe New York has a chance to win a championship with Randle. That belief is based on the idea that Randle and the 2024-25 Knicks can play with the cohesion and chemistry they showed in January. That will likely require sacrifice from all of their top players, Randle included.

But my opinion on this subject is irrelevant. Yours too. The only opinion that matters here is that of Leon Roos.

If he believes the Knicks can win a title with Randle, then No. 30 will be there this season and for the foreseeable future. If he doesn’t think Randle gives them the best chance to win, then he’ll have to trade him. Randle is, of course, eligible for a contract extension. He has a player option for 2025-26 and could test free agency as early as next summer.

We noted in July that a contract extension was not on the cards for Randle or the Knicks. That remains the case less than three weeks before the start of training camp. As for the extension, I’m not sure what would change between now and the start of the season to get a deal done. So it appears both sides are willing to go into the year without an extension.

QUICK BEATS

I can’t wait for the show to come back! Anyone have any thoughts on who the Knicks could target as a backup center heading into the deadline? Any word yet on who Steven Adams, Clint Capella or anyone else on the way? – @Kameel888

Thanks, Kameel! I’m looking forward to the season and getting The Putback and Mailbag back up and running. As for backup centers and the trade deadline, I know the Knicks talked to Atlanta this offseason about a deal for Capela. The Rockets want to win, so if they’re in a good position heading into the trade deadline, I’d be surprised if they moved Adams.

I would keep an eye on it Nik Richards in Charlotte as a possible trade candidate. The same goes for Hiker Kessler in Utah. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted, Robert Williams is a name to monitor. Maybe Jonas Valunciunas?

I’m a little surprised the Knicks haven’t signed a veteran backup center at this point. They opened up a championship window here with the Bridges trade. I’d be surprised if they waited until the trade deadline to address the center position. Mitchell Robinson is just coming off ankle surgery. If he is ready for training camp, he will need some time to get his conditioning/timing back. And it would be wise to consider Robinson’s injury history. Precious Achiuwa is very suitable as a reserve center/power forward. Jericho Sims has shown promising results, but has not yet been proven in that role.

Given that, I’d be surprised if the Knicks are confident in the current state of the center position. As noted last week, there was some internal interest in Bruno Fernando And Omer Yurtseven earlier in the offseason. But both players have signed elsewhere. You have to think the Knicks are at least considering veterans as bigs JaVale McGee And Bismack BiyomboMaybe they’ll sign a veteran before training camp starts.

Perhaps the Knicks will look at how their current group looks before making a move. No matter how it plays out, the decisions they make around the center position this season will be crucial.

I keep hearing that Randle can get more minutes at center through the math of splitting minutes. Any idea if that’s something he’d want to do and could do? – @blanco63

As stated above, I think Randle will accept any role asked of him if it helps the Knicks compete for a title. He wants to win, and he wants to win here. Can he thrive in that role? I don’t know. I think a Randle center with Anunoby, Bridges, Hart/DiVincenzo, and Brunson would put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.

I can’t wait for the Knicks to get back to basketball. Can you talk a little bit about the confidence the front office and Thibs have in Jericho Sims? Do they plan on using him this season or more in “emergency situations”? And does Precious waiving his no-trade clause mean he’ll likely be traded before the deadline if they need something? – @LetsTalkKnicks_

I agree with you, @LetsTalkKnicks_. I’ve been following the NBA for a while and I’m always excited at the start of the season. But this feels a little different because of what the Knicks have done the last two seasons and who they have on the roster. As for Sims, I don’t have much insight into how the front office and Tom Thibodeau watch him. As mentioned above, the Knicks have been weighing their options at center. That should give you some insight into where they stand with Sims. Unless I’m reading too much into it, the Knicks’ actions suggest they’re not entirely sure about Sims as a second or third center at this point. Maybe Sims will change his mind with a strong training camp/preseason.

Can we expect the Knicks to play zone defense? – @OfficialSonicJR

Compared to the rest of the NBA, the Knicks haven’t played much zone defense under Thibodeau. (Here’s some context from Mike Shearer at Basketball Poetry ). With Thibodeau sidelined and Bridges/Anunoby on the roster, it seems logical to assume the Knicks won’t play much zone defense this season. If they did, it would be a significant change of approach for the head coach.