NBA Draft: Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft’s first round

2014 NBA Redraft: 4. Julius Randle, Orlando Magic

Julius Randle’s career got off to about as bad a start as an NBA player can have. Having played only 14 minutes in his first game as a pro, the former Kentucky Wildcat broke his right leg on a drive to the basket, ending his season barely after it started.

Since that unfortunate night, Randle steadily improved his output. He became a solid starter for the Los Angeles Lakers and a 20-point scorer upon being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Big things were expected of him in New York. In one sense, Randle lived up to them with 19.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in his first run as a Knick. In another, poor efficiency on an even poorer Knicks team hardly earned Randle many Big Apple supporters.

Fans grew frustrated with Randle’s attempt to seize the wheel and drag the Knicks from the abyss. Fast forward one year and he’s earned their rabid admiration for doing exactly that.

The Knicks sit firmly in an unexpected playoff push with Randle leading the charge. More than 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists per game all represent career-highs. He’s also shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc, by far the best mark of his career.

A player once placed in every hypothetical trade is now an irreplaceable All-Star. That’s as Hollywood a story as you’ll ever get in New York City.