New York Knicks: 3 players that exceeded expectations this year

New York Knicks that exceeded expectations: 1. Julius Randle

The summer of 2019 was a tough one for New York Knicks’ fans. They had hoped to luck into the No. 1 pick to select Zion Williamson and then shortly after sign superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks ended up with the No. 3 pick which turned into RJ Barrett and then signed Julius Randle to a three-year, $62 million deal. It didn’t go as planned, and many fans were unhappy with the offseason.

Not me, however. The possibility of getting Durant and Irving seemed more of a fantasy than actuality, so I shifted gears to focus on the benefits of signing Randle to a smaller deal.

The duo of Barrett and Randle entered the 2019-20 season with hopes of turning the Knicks around. They couldn’t, and the team was bad, again.

Randle, particularly, disappointed in his first season as the No. 1 option. He averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, but he tallied 3.1 assists to 3.0 turnovers per game.

But then came 2020-21. The Knicks were good and Randle had a lot to do with that. He had the best season of his career, earning an All-Star appearance and an All-NBA Second Team selection — both of which were the first of his career.

And he won the Most Improved Player award after averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, all of which led the Knicks. He was efficient, too, shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from 3 and 81.1 percent from the free-throw line.

While I expected Randle to breakout given I called him a “budding star” in 2019, not many people were with me, especially after the first season. Randle proved the doubters wrong and in doing so, he led the Knicks to their best season since 2012-13.

Sure, the playoffs didn’t go well for Randle as he struggled in the first-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks. However, it’s one of few blemishes on a terrific season. Going into next year, he has to continue to be the Knicks’ leader and power them deeper into the postseason.