New York Knicks: 3 players facing most pressure in 2019-20

1. Julius Randle

Julius Randle finally got the massive payday he had been working towards. After getting drafted seventh overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Randle has been nothing shy of excellent. Showing consistent growth every season, he has proven he is nowhere near his ceiling.

Last season or the New Orleans Pelicans, 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 30.6 minutes per game.

He also showed improvement on his jump shot. After never shooting above 30 percent from deep in the first four years of his career, Randle converted on 34.4 percent of his 3-pointers in the 2018-19 season.

This was a clear indicator that Randle could transition into the modern stretch 4. With his improved shot combined with his athleticism, Julius Randle is straight-up hard to guard.

Randle’s outstanding season earned him a three-year, $63 million contract this summer with the New York Knicks. With an average annual salary of over $20 million going forward, he was able to more than double what he was making last season in New Orleans.

Although he is already entering his sixth NBA season, Julius Randle is still only 24 years old. As the highest-paid player on the New York Knicks, he will certainly have an extreme amount of pressure next season.

Randle will be expected to be the team’s best player and shoulder a large majority of the team’s offensive workload.