New York Knicks: 4 attainable goals for the 2019-20 season
2. Have at least one player make the All-Star team
Whether it’s Kevin Knox, Randle, Barrett, Robinson or Smith, any one of these players could be making an All-Star jump this coming season. As optimistic as that may sound, I also understand that the realistic pick to make the All-Star team is Julius Randle. Regardless, I think it’s highly attainable for the Knicks to have at least one All-Star in 2019-20.
Randle is coming to New York after five years of playing in the Western Conference. The level of competition that he’s had to guard and play against on both the Lakers and Pelicans, has and will be better than what he’ll see in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, Randle will have to go up against players like Blake Griffin and Giannis Antetokounmpo but he’ll see far less of Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and LaMarcus Aldridge. the former Kentucky Wildcats standout is only 24-years-old and he’s not even in the prime of his career yet. Randle is coming off a season where he averaged 21.4 points per game and he may be in Chicago come All-Star weekend.
Outside of Randle, the other player that I could maybe see getting selected to the All-Star team is the soon to be NBA Sophomore, Kevin Knox. The other former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 12.8 points and shot 34.3% from three-point land during his rookie season on the Knicks. The defining factor that could put him over the top, and into the All-Star picture, is consistent starts and minutes.
In the 75 games, he played last season, starting only 57 of them, never gave him a true identity on the team. Assuming he plays well during the preseason, Knox will be the starting small forward come opening night, It’s a big opportunity for him to show his worth offensively.
There is no guarantee that any Knicks player makes it to the All-Star game this year but with the probable development of players such as Randle, Knox, and crew, it’s not out of the question that someone represents the Knicks come All-Star weekend in February.