Jeff Van Gully wrote:as someone who was bewildered by the signing and talked off the ledge, i am going to say something i think will be unpopular.
if randle plays like he did yesterday, that's a bargain signing for a young star who could help you win ball games.
at first i saw the deal a lot like THJ where you're paying for futures. but randle showed real potential in NO and i am holding out hope that he is an asset if nothing else. but at his age, he could be the answer at the 4 and small-ball 5 if he continues to play to his potential.
and when i say play like last night, i don't mean the box score. that stat line isn't realistic. but he generally let the game come to him. he played very comfortably and in-control for the most part. he got teammates involved and kept the ball moving. he just made good decisions to get that line and the W.
It helps that in general, the Knicks ran some high P&R's with the floor spread. Even if they weren't for Randle. Just the way the floor gets spread out and that that play makes Frank more effective.
I'll never get to THJr level bashing, as that was a potential 4 year commitment, which of course wasn't Timmy's fault. Worst case scenario for Randle, it's 2 years. Hell, they could even diminish his role in year 2 if it wasn't working out, since he wouldn't be "part of the team moving forward" in that worst case scenario, which isn't likely to happen. Meaning, Randle won't be that bad.