Knicks 105, Cavaliers 103: K.I.S.S.
New York’s best player played perhaps his best game in their best win of the season
What a roller-coaster! What a feel-good night! What a screwball win!
The New York Knicks competed for all 2,880 seconds of last night’s 105-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that’s exactly what it took; any less and today we’d be mourning a five-game losing streak. But to quote from “Damn Yankees,” the song isn’t “Ya Gotta Have A Superstar,” it’s “Ya Gotta Have Heart.” Last night the Knicks were practically arterial. The Cavs had more baskets, more offensive rebounds, more assists, more steals, more blocks, fewer turnovers, more than twice as many fast-break points and a clear edge on points in the paint. And the Knicks won. And it’s time, I say, to discuss whether last night’s hero has leveled up and given New York their first superstar since a somewhat polarizing Baltimorean.
You may be spoiled if your power forward puts up 36 and 13, makes eight 3-pointers and your reaction is “Cool” or “Wish he’d cut down on the turnovers” or “His value’ll never be higher; trade him.” Does Julius Randle have limitations? We’re aware. He doesn’t process double-teams the way you’d draw it up in a lab. His body language is visible from space, especially when negative. In the first quarters of games he’s Zeus, an unstoppable, inevitable powerhouse; the rest of the game he’s more Hercules – still strong, but decidedly human. Capable of great feats or flameouts of mythical proportion.
I’ll spare you the rundown, but it doesn’t take long to look over a list of every superstar and find flaws in them. Randle is not perfect. What he is is 25 and 11 a night while being the only Knick to play every game and leading the team in pretty much everything while doing it from everywhere, and raising his game as needed. With Mitchell Robinson out, the Knicks are missing perhaps the league’s top offensive rebounder. That’s a significant feature of their sixth-ranked offense – they’re not pristine shooters or a fellowship of great passers; the Knicks score points because they get a lotta shots at the apple. So it’s big-time to see your best player mixing it up with 80% of the other team down low, eternal sunshining memories of Charles Smith, or, more recently, Isaiah Hartenstein.
Good stories spin threads that carry from beginning to the end. Last night the Knicks opened the scoring with a Randle 25-foot three. With the game tied and two minutes left in the fourth, guess who hit their final field goal, also a 25-foot three.
So: you have a 28-year-old who’s shown the ability to bounce back twice now after the fans wrote him off as persona non grata. He’s on a team-friendly deal. He’ll likely be an All-Star for the second time in three years. Only eight Knicks have accomplished that over the last 50 years: Walt Frazier; Dave DeBusschere; Bob McAdoo; Micheal Ray Richardson; Bernard King; Patrick Ewing; Allan Houston; Carmelo Anthony. Five of them are in the Hall of Fame; a sixth, Melo, will soon join them. MRR may have ended up in Springfield if not for addicition and the culture of intolerance David Stern’s 1980s NBA took toward addiction. Allan Houston, you were a very, very handsome man.
It’s obvious this season one reason Randle has improved his efficiency so much is because he’s not being asked to do as much; the presence of Jalen Brunson has somewhat simplified Randle’s responsibilities. Less can be more. Brunson is a borderline All-Star this season; he could make the team, especially if any guards pull out due to injury. Given how good Randle’s since the addition of Brunson, imagine what he might become if the Knicks paired him up with someone closer to an All-NBA talent. Instead of looking at Randle and seeing what’s lacking, what if night’s like last night are hints of what could be? What if his team tried to build around one of their two best free-agent signings ever?
There are so many vagaries and bumps in the road and threats that can ruin an NBA team’s plans. You clear enough money one summer for two max players, but neither are interested. You draft a unicorn, but they keep coming down with hoof and leg injuries. You sign a superstar who shines like an MVP for one year, then a sunspot the rest of his tenure. Maybe someone isn’t as mentally or physically ready for the challenge as you hoped.
When you find someone who’s New York tough, who responds to boos by winning back cheers (twice!), who can overwhelm four opponents in the paint and hit from deep, then do it again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again . . . I mean, K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid. Julius Randle is an amazing basketball player. Don’t subtract him. Add around him. He has game and heart. Last night the Knicks won thanks to both. Next game is tomorrow in Boston. New York will need even more of both to have a chance in that one.
