NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The New York Knicks must deal with a tough Eastern Conference this season and that won’t even be their biggest challenge. Playing in this market (NYC) comes with a ton of responsibilities and a microscope unlike any other. The winters are brutal, the fans are hostile, but the media, well, they are savages. At all times, they have the Knicks in their crosshairs. The question now is, who is the leader of this team?
Prior to last season, that was an easy answer, that title went to Julius Randle. He was the reason the Knicks had a resurgence of sorts. He’s made 2 All-Star appearances since coming to Gotham and has averaged 22.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. But then, last offseason the Knicks pulled off a big move and signed Jalen Brunson. And that’s when the drama began.
While the Knicks, most notably, Brunson and Randle will downplay it, there are a few ruffled feathers there. And that has nothing to do with the players themselves. The media and the fans have created this hype. Once Brunson arrived and started tearing things up, Randle became an afterthought. The fans and media gave Brunson the keys and told him to drive the ship. But where was this support for Randle when he was doing the heavy lifting?
Randle does take bad shots and I truly believe a large part of that is the noise that he’s hearing. He wants to press the issue now instead of letting the game come to him as he has done years prior to Brunson’s arrival. He’s making things worse. But at the same time, the Knicks are not helping the cause either.
Neither Brunson, the coach, the front office, nor other teammates have publically stated this team belongs to Randle. This is not the Golden State Warriors or the Milwaukee Bucks where the leadership is clear. This is still a young team with a very fragile ego. If Brunson is indeed going to be the face of the Knicks moving forward then the Knicks will need to trade Randle or have a sit down and let the chips fall where they may.
Who Is The Leader Of The New York Knicks
They can’t go into this season how they ended the last one. Leadership is important for any team but for a team such as the New York Knicks who will enter the season with high hopes, a pecking order must be established. Ever since he arrived in NYC, Randle has heard his name in trade rumors. This offseason was no different. The one you don’t here is Jalen Brunson. Maybe the Knicks are his, maybe it’s time for Randle to move on. But, what if, they can come to some sort of understanding? What if the kicks can be led by players who share the responsibilities?
The New York Knicks are young enough to pull this off. Brunson, the point guard has benefited by having Randle either in the post or on the wings, and vice versa. It’s just up to the organization to put the proper pieces around them to be successful as a duo. If things start to crumble this season, we will see who the leader is when the rumors start up again. Will it be Julius Randle or Jalen Brunson? Stay tuned !!!
