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Nothing has gone right for the New York Knicks this season. They have gotten much worse after seemingly figuring out how to win again. From the Eastern Conference's fourth seed last season to 12th place, it's clear that this team isn't ready for the big time.
The playoffs are likely well out of reach at this point. Even if they qualify for the play-in tournament, their affinity for blowing sizable leads will likely come back to haunt them in a do-or-die affair. A lot of Knicks players have something to prove once the seemingly lost season resumes. Offseason additions like Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier look like mistakes from the front office. Rookie Quentin Grimes has been a bright spot and should look to prove that he deserves a permanent rotation spot.
The player who has the most to prove, though, is Julius Randle. The burly power forward needs to show that he can get back to his All-Star form.
The 1 Knicks player with most to prove after 2022 All-Star break
Last season, Randle was the man of the city. He was beloved by fans for his vastly improved performance, especially as a playmaker and shooter. He was the team's offensive engine and contributed to one of the best defenses in the league. Now, Randle looks nothing like a key contributor on a playoff team.
This season, Randle is averaging 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from deep. Every statistic there is down from last season except for the rebounds, which has stayed the exact same. His 3-point percentage is down by 10 percent and his points per game are down by almost five.
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It's clear that the Knicks' rapid rebuild was unstable. They have to take the long road and should be able to do so with the abundance of picks and young players they have already. Randle doesn't seem to have a place if he can't play a key role in it, though.
Randle, at age 27 and signed for the next four seasons, will likely remain in New York. But that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to be the team's centerpiece. If Tom Thibodeau is fired — the case for it is legitimate — and the new coach doesn't see a path to getting him back on track, Randle's future in New York may be grim.
Although moving on from Randle seems like a tall task because of his contract, it's not an impossible mission. He will be around the 50th-place mark among all NBA salaries next season and should remain around there once more players sign long-term deals. He'll be due between $29 million and $23 million per season thanks to an extension he signed this past offseason. That sum of money can easily be matched by adding smaller contracts together in a potential trade.
There may be worse contracts out there in the NBA but Randle's already seems to be bad before the extension even kicks in. New York may have to attach picks to get off of it. Randle can save the front office from doing that or play his way back into its good graces by picking up his performance for the remainder of the season.
Randle ended the first part of the regular season better than he started it. However, he is still a far cry from the player he was just last season. Although other Knucks players have been just as disappointing, none of them were expected to have the impact Randle did. For the rest of the 2021-22 season, he is playing for his status as a star in the NBA.
