NBA Season Preview 2021-22: 5 players with the most to prove this season
27. . . . Julius Randle. 2. player
Julius Randle and the New York Knicks took the league by storm last year. The Knicks finished as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record. Much of that was due to the play of Randle who won the award for Most Improved Player. Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and six assists, all career highs.
As special as Randle’s regular season was, he had a rather underwhelming playoff series, as the Knicks lost in five games to the Atlanta Hawks. In the series, Randle averaged 18 points, 11.6 rebounds, four assists and shot just under 30 percent from the field.
The postseason performance left fans wondering if Randle just succumbed to the playoff pressure or if his career year was a fluke. With the Knicks reloaded, Randle must prove that he really is an improved player by replicating his success, getting New York back to the playoffs and performing in the postseason as well.