Knicks Mailbag: Can Julius Randle help New York win a title?

SNY's Ian Begley will be responding to Knicks questions from readers. Here's the latest...

What are your thoughts on Julius Randle and do you think this team has a chance at a championship with him? I believe so, but others disagree. - @EverythinKnicks

I have a lot of thoughts on Randle. Here are a few that come to mind: the Knicks wouldn’t be in the position they’re in today without him. It’s important to note that when you talk about Randle’s Knicks tenure: He came here in free agency when no one else wanted to and dealt with fierce criticism from fans and media in his first Knicks season. Instead of wilting under the noise/pressure, Randle bounced back to have an All-NBA season in 2020-21, leading the Knicks to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

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

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

Those are a few of my thoughts on Randle.

One other thought: the 29-year-old will accept any role that’s asked of him on this Knicks team if it leads to winning. As SNY noted earlier in the offseason, Randle has been excited about this team and believes the group can make a run. He’s looking forward to being back, healthy, with this team, and thinks things can be special with Bridges. He wants to win and win in New York. (The frustration he recently expressed on social media was genuine. But it was a reaction 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 that they showed in January. That will probably require a sacrifice from all of their top players, Randle included.

But my opinion on this topic is irrelevant. So is yours. The only opinion that matters here is the one that belongs to Leon Rose.

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

We noted in July that a contract extension was not at the forefront for either Randle or the Knicks. That remains the case today, less than three weeks from the start of training camp. Regarding the extension, I’m not sure what would change between now and the start of the season to get a deal done. So it seems as if both sides are prepared to go into the year without an extension.  

QUICK HITTERS

Looking forward to the show coming back! Any insight into who the Knicks may target as a backup center toward the deadline? Any noise surrounding Steven Adams, Clint Capella or anyone else being on the move? - @Kameel888

Thanks, Kameel! I’m excited about the season and getting The Putback and Mailbag started again. As far as backup centers and the trade deadline, I know the Knicks talked to Atlanta this offseason about a deal involving Capela. The Rockets want to win so if they are in a good place heading into the trade deadline, I’d be surprised if they moved Adams.

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

I’m a little surprised that the Knicks haven’t signed a veteran backup center at this point. They have opened a championship window here with the Bridges trade. It would surprise me if they waited until the trade deadline to address the center position. Mitchell Robinson is coming off of ankle surgery. If he’s ready for training camp, he’ll still need some time to regain his conditioning/timing. And it’s prudent to factor in Robinson’s injury history. Precious Achiuwa is very capable as a backup center/power forward. Jericho Sims has shown promise, but is unproven in that role.  

Given that, it would surprise me if the Knicks were confident about the current state of the center position. As noted last week, there was some internal interest in signing 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 veteran bigs like JaVale McGee and Bismack Biyombo. Maybe they sign a veteran before the start of training camp.

Maybe the Knicks see 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 critical.

I keep hearing that Randle may get more minutes at center due to the math of distributing minutes. Do we have any idea if it’s something he’d be willing to do and be able to thrive doing? - @blanco63

As noted above, I think Randle will accept any role that’s 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 doing it? I don’t know. I think a lineup of Randle at center with Anunoby, Bridges, Hart/DiVincenzo and Brunson would put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.

Can’t wait for Knicks basketball to be back. Can you talk a little bit more about the confidence that the front office and Thibs have in Jericho Sims? Do they plan on using him this season or moreso in ‘emergency situations’ only? Also, does Precious waiving his no-trade clause mean he would be most likely to be traded by deadline if they need something? - @LetsTalkKnicks_

I’m with you, @LetsTalkKnicks_. I’ve been covering the NBA for a while and I’m always excited at the start of the season. But this one feels a bit different because of what the Knicks have done the past two seasons and who they have on the roster. As far as Sims goes, I don’t have much insight into how the front office and Tom Thibodeau view him. As noted above, the Knicks have been gauging their options at center. So that could give you a little insight into where they are on Sims. Unless I’m reading too much into it, the Knicks’ actions suggest that they’re not fully confident with Sims as a second or third center at this point. Maybe Sims changes their mind with a strong training camp/preseason.

Can we expect the Knicks to play Zone Defense? - @OfficialSonicJR

The Knicks have not played a lot of zone under Thibodeau. (Some context here from Mike Shearer at Basketball Poetry). With Thibodeau on the sidelines and Bridges/Anunoby on the roster, it seems logical to assume that the Knicks won’t play much zone defense this season. If they do, it would be a significant change of approach for the head coach.