NBA GM Sounds Off on Knicks Pairing of Julius Randle & RJ Barrett

Getty Julius Randle and RJ Barrett might not be a great fit.

The New York Knicks have followed up their eight game win streak with a three gaming losing streak, and things aren’t getting easier as they go on a road trip through Texas beginning with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on December 27.

While they are going through a slump at the moment, there’s a lot going right for the Knicks this season, and it starts with the reinvigorated Julius Randle. He’s averaging 23.1 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting, a major increase over last year’s 41.1 percent from the floor.

There’s been chatter about Randle making his second All-Star team with the Knicks, something that would represent a major turnaround from last year. Despite Randle’s success, there is concern about the long-term fit of Randle and fellow star RJ Barrett.

Before the season, Barrett inked a four-year extension that’ll be keeping him in New York for the same duration as Randle’s extension. An Eastern Conference general manager speaking to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney has concerns about the fit of the two stars, but clarifies it applies mostly to Randle.

Can The Two Co-Exist?

So far, it’s looking like the two players can make it work, and that was abundantly so over the eight game win streak. However, losing shifts the narrative and leads fans to believe the pair can’t co-exist.

The GM argues the problem with the pairing might just be on Randle, and that’s because he could have trouble fitting in anywhere.

“There are concerns about how Julius Randle fits anywhere, just because he is a midrange big guy in a league that does really focus on that anymore,” the GM told Deveney. “He needs the ball. RJ needs the ball. Jalen Brunson needs the ball. So, you have a situation where you have to wonder if the roles fit, long-term. Like we always say, there is only one ball.”

With Brunson leading the show at point guard, it’s allowed Randle to play off the ball a bit more, but there are still many points during the game where the offense is running through the forward, and the results do vary. Randle’s skillset was very valued when the Knicks didn’t have a point guard, but now they do and it isn’t as coveted as it once was.

We’re seeing the effect Brunson has had on the team as Randle’s assists per game are sitting at 3.6, lower than his total of 5.1 a season ago.

Moving Randle, if the Knicks wanted to go down that road, could prove to be more difficult than it’s worth, so don’t count on that being the answer to any problems. Instead, the team will likely find a way to make things work.

Who Does Fit With Randle?

Randle is very productive this season, but that’s not enough to create a winning product. With him being one of the leading stars of the Knicks, it looks like the ceiling for New York might be the second round of the playoffs, a spot that many teams would love to be in, to be fair.

An executive speaking to Deveney named Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as a good running mate.

“Giannis is one who comes to mind because of the way he cuts and makes himself available and can play off other passers,” the exec said. “I am not saying that Milwaukee is beating down the doors to get Julius Randle, but that is the kind of star who could work well with a player with Randle’s skill. There are not a lot of Giannis-es out there, though.”

That’s a very unlikely pairing, but it does show that there are still some teams out there who would value Randle if the Knicks decide to shop him around.