New York Knicks: 5 predictions for 2019-20 season

5. Julius Randle makes first All-Star team

The biggest free-agent acquisition this summer by the New York Knicks was landing Julius Randle. While he didn’t excite people as much as someone such as Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant, Randle was a great signing.

Randle will turn 25-years old this November, so he fits the team’s timeline. He has yet to reach his prime and is coming into his own as a player.

The former Kentucky product averaged a career-high 21.4 points per game, adding 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. He took a step forward in the shooting department, knocking down 34.4 percent of his 3-point attempts per game.

Randle showed what he could do when given an extended opportunity with the New Orleans Pelicans. With the Knicks, he will receive plenty of opportunities as well. If he can produce at the same clip as he did last season, he will receive his first All-Star nomination.

If Randle can come close to replicating his production for the Pelicans in the Western Conference, it will be recognized more in the Eastern Conference. Also, New York is an infinitely bigger media market than New Orleans, so he will garner more attention doing it in Madison Square Garden.