Julius Randle IS a 'cornerstone' player

[WargamesX]

Never been so happy to be wrong about a player.

Knicks don't draft Toppin if they knew Randle was going to be this good.

Yeah but they did and idk what they can do with him but trade him

[3toheadmelo]

Members within the New York Knicks organization feel that Julius Randle is part of the team's core for the future, sources told Ian Begley of SNY.

"There are prominent members of the Knicks organization that feel Randle is part of this young core that they’re trying to move forward with,” said Begley on The Putback wit Ian Begley.

[GONYK]

he's that player that a smart team would trade before teams figured out he aint all that. Unforch we're not a smart team so we'll be stuck with him till his inevitable max drags us down.

Gonna be Melo all over again...

Randle gonna drag this team only to be tired out & eliminated early in the 1st round.

But at least Randle is showing out in a contract year!

Woo hoo!

Not a contract year

[3toheadmelo]

Read on Twitter

[3toheadmelo]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

[Oscirus]

he's that player that a smart team would trade before teams figured out he aint all that. Unforch we're not a smart team so we'll be stuck with him till his inevitable max drags us down.

Gonna be Melo all over again...

Randle gonna drag this team only to be tired out & eliminated early in the 1st round.

But at least Randle is showing out in a contract year!

Woo hoo!

Not a contract year

Mere technicality, an option year is basically a contract year, only difference is that you have to wait two years to cash in if you signed the wrong one.

[Deeeez Knicks]

Randle is looking more like a keeper everyday. Obviously we pick up his option at this point. We have the luxury of waiting until the end of next season before we have to make a decision on anything.

[GONYK]

Gonna be Melo all over again...

Randle gonna drag this team only to be tired out & eliminated early in the 1st round.

But at least Randle is showing out in a contract year!

Woo hoo!

Not a contract year

Mere technicality, an option year is basically a contract year, only difference is that you have to wait two years to cash in if you signed the wrong one.

So then it's not a contract year

His option being a team option makes all the difference. If we are talking in terms of simple financial incentives, Julius' potential outcomes were either:

1. Play like he did last season, or worse, and get paid either the same next season or less
2. Play better than he did last season, and get paid the exact same next season

He needs to sustain this level of play for another entire season before reaping the benefits.

I'd say that leads to the conclusion that this improvement across the board from him is not financially motivated then, at least not primarily like we usually attribute to contract year production. I think he genuinely cared enough on his own to find this next level.

[cgf]

Bro u buggin for no reason. Most ppl are saying if he continues at this level of play. He's showing no signs of slowing down or that this all-star season is an anomaly.

More importantly he's becoming a TEAM leader and a guy other players rally around and look up to. The LeBron comparisons are valid because he's running the offense, getting everyone else involved, leading the team in assists, shooting threes, taking it to the baja, getting to the foul line... All while leading the team and league in minutes played, hitting clutch free throws and clutch shots.

Randle is a DOG, bully bball at its finest.

We're 14-15 in the **** east. That's barely Kemba Walker or Nik Vucevic territory. Some of you are so thirsty for hope it's kind of sad. I guess for folks who started post 2002 or so it's different.

Ok? We have no talent around him. We're a gritty defensive team like the 90s Knicks.

Been watching since the 90's fam

I'd kill for Allan Houston on this team

Some folks are just so used to watching this team fail that they can't accept anything but more failure. Starting to build something is terrifying to them.

[Oscirus]

Not a contract year

Mere technicality, an option year is basically a contract year, only difference is that you have to wait two years to cash in if you signed the wrong one.

So then it's not a contract year

His option being a team option makes all the difference. If we are talking in terms of simple financial incentives, Julius' potential outcomes were either:

1. Play like he did last season, or worse, and get paid either the same next season or less
2. Play better than he did last season, and get paid the exact same next season

He needs to sustain this level of play for another entire season before reaping the benefits.

I'd say that leads to the conclusion that this improvement across the board from him is not financially motivated then, at least not primarily like we usually attribute to contract year production. I think he genuinely cared enough on his own to find this next level.

You're demonstrating that it is financially motivated. What happenes if he doesnt play as well? We say no thank you to the contract and he dont get paid. Sure props to perry for making him have to sustain this for 2 years to really earn his money, but this is still very much a contract year for him.

[Manhattan Project]

The man definitely deserves to be an all star this year, I just pray that if he doesn't make the cut, he doesn't get a snubbed tattoo like Eddy Curry did with us. Everything has finally just clicked for him, I don't see how people can't be rooting for Randle at this point, whether you think we should be tanking or not, Randle is playing like a guy you tank and hope to get lucky to get.

[GONYK]

Mere technicality, an option year is basically a contract year, only difference is that you have to wait two years to cash in if you signed the wrong one.

So then it's not a contract year

His option being a team option makes all the difference. If we are talking in terms of simple financial incentives, Julius' potential outcomes were either:

1. Play like he did last season, or worse, and get paid either the same next season or less
2. Play better than he did last season, and get paid the exact same next season

He needs to sustain this level of play for another entire season before reaping the benefits.

I'd say that leads to the conclusion that this improvement across the board from him is not financially motivated then, at least not primarily like we usually attribute to contract year production. I think he genuinely cared enough on his own to find this next level.

You're demonstrating that it is financially motivated. What happenes if he doesnt play as well? We say no thank you to the contract and he dont get paid. Sure props to perry for making him have to sustain this for 2 years to really earn his money, but this is still very much a contract year for him.

Fair enough. I see your side of it as well.

I don't necessarily agree, since Julius didn't have to play to this level to maintain his contract with the team.

[iLLmatic860]

The man definitely deserves to be an all star this year, I just pray that if he doesn't make the cut, he doesn't get a snubbed tattoo like Eddy Curry did with us. Everything has finally just clicked for him, I don't see how people can't be rooting for Randle at this point, whether you think we should be tanking or not, Randle is playing like a guy you tank and hope to get lucky to get.

Lmao what? Pics of snubbed tattoo?

[Manhattan Project]

The man definitely deserves to be an all star this year, I just pray that if he doesn't make the cut, he doesn't get a snubbed tattoo like Eddy Curry did with us. Everything has finally just clicked for him, I don't see how people can't be rooting for Randle at this point, whether you think we should be tanking or not, Randle is playing like a guy you tank and hope to get lucky to get.

Lmao what? Pics of snubbed tattoo?

https://theclemreport.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/never-forget-eddy-currys-all-star-snub-tattoo/

[KnixtapeH20]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

Word.

I still give props to STAT even tho his injuries derailed his impact with us.

That string of 9 or 10, 30 point games were up there with the special moments in the mecca. If OBI can even come close to that out put he'd be a top 2 player in his draft.

[cgf]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

Word.

I still give props to STAT even tho his injuries derailed his impact with us.

That string of 9 or 10, 30 point games were up there with the special moments in the mecca. If OBI can even come close to that out put he'd be a top 2 player in his draft.

I'm by no means Obi's biggest fan, but his offense doesn't really worry me. His shot is still a work in progress, he needs to tighten his handle & put some muscle on them legs to stop looking like he was drawn by eiichiro oda. But all of those are things prospects regularly improve.

To me the big decider will be his defense. If he'll never be more than just another Collins on that end, that puts a ceiling on his impact. If OTOH he can figure out how to successfully play that Horford/Gibson game defensively, to cut it as a smallball 5; that would change his ceiling dramatically.

[nedleeds]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

Word.

I still give props to STAT even tho his injuries derailed his impact with us.

That string of 9 or 10, 30 point games were up there with the special moments in the mecca. If OBI can even come close to that out put he'd be a top 2 player in his draft.

Translation: "I want to play for a terrible team to put up numbers and be sub .500 in the East and dupe the most useless front office in the league to give me a max contract."

[nedleeds]

Read on Twitter

Granted they are basketball snobs and over generalize Randle barely got a mention for these two's All Star teams.

[3toheadmelo]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

Word.

I still give props to STAT even tho his injuries derailed his impact with us.

That string of 9 or 10, 30 point games were up there with the special moments in the mecca. If OBI can even come close to that out put he'd be a top 2 player in his draft.

Translation: "I want to play for a terrible team to put up numbers and be sub .500 in the East and dupe the most useless front office in the league to give me a max contract."

All of your Randle takes has been pretty awful. Continue on with your Anti-Randle agenda as usual

[cgf]

KD and Kyrie wasn’t built for this. Shout out to Randle for being the only star player since Melo who embraced the challenge of a Knick and wants to be here.

Read on Twitter

Word.

I still give props to STAT even tho his injuries derailed his impact with us.

That string of 9 or 10, 30 point games were up there with the special moments in the mecca. If OBI can even come close to that out put he'd be a top 2 player in his draft.

Translation: "I want to play for a terrible team to put up numbers and be sub .500 in the East and dupe the most useless front office in the league to give me a max contract."

You under-estimated the arrogance/egos of successful professional athletes.