"They didn’t put a super team together" - Julius Randle talks about how Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA title from the ground up
The New York Knicks want to be great this season, and their leader Julius Randle has taken inspiration from last season’s NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks built a team from the ground up to win the title, and Randle wants the Knicks to do the same.
This is Julius Randle’s third season with the New York Knicks and the seventh of his career. Randle had a rough start in the NBA, not finding a role until he joined the Knicks in 2019. Last season, he carried the team’s offense, averaging 24.1 points per game with six assists, as a power forward.
The New York Knicks have started hot this season and are still carrying the momentum that they built during their playoffs appearance in the previous campaign.
Randle is looking for more than just a playoff appearance this season. The 26-year-old recently spoke to the media about the Milwaukee Bucks' success as a team and shared his love for their building plan. He said:
“It was beautiful to watch simply because the aspect of, they built it from the ground up. They didn’t put a super team together or whatever it was. These guys were in the mud every day grinding the thing out. They took some lumps along the way there trying to figure it out.”
Julius Randle says he "gets chills" thinking about watching Milwaukee win the championship last season
"It motivates me extremely...I know how much time I've put in and I haven't gotten there yet...I don't think there's a better place to do it than here" https://t.co/EOAjBRDswO
Right now, the New York Knicks have a 5-3 record in the league. Randle is once again having a great season, averaging 20.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
Can Julius Randle be the main piece on a championship team?
The New York Knicks seem ready to make another playoff push, and Julius Randle is leading the charge again this season. He is at the top of the list in almost every statistical category, making him the most valuable player for the team.
Randle is also one of the better defenders on the Knicks roster, posting the third-lowest defensive rating at 108.
Even though Randle is not putting up crazy stats compared to other stars in the NBA, he remains a great asset for the New York Knicks.
RJ Barrett over the last 3 Games:
20 Points - 3 Rebounds - 53% FG
35 Points - 8 Rebounds - 66% FG
27 Points - 6 Rebounds - 69% FG https://t.co/f5djVPeoGP
Having said that, if the Knicks want to be in the top tier of the Eastern Conference, they need at least one other All-Star. That could come from within, with RJ Barrett turning into something special early in the season.
The New York Knicks have a lot of depth, but most of the fringe players don’t even get time on the court. The team could use this depth in quality to hopefully get another co-star for Randle while also allowing Barrett to grow.