« I remember watching the NBA Finals and having chills, » Bucks, inspiration for Julius Randle and Knicks
As the Knicks take on the Bucks tonight, it’s the defending champions who host one of the surprise teams in the league and their conference last season. And the history of the Bucks happens to be very inspiring for Julius Randle. Indeed, the leader of the Knicks remembers that the title of the franchise of Wisconsin really marked him.
“I remember watching the NBA Finals and getting chills. I get chills just talking about it. »Julius Randle
Above all, even though the Knicks are one of the biggest markets in the league, they don’t really attract the big fish of free-agency anymore. So the current workforce was built with good picks and sometimes bets. Who would have thought that Randle would wait for the level which is his today during his years in New Orleans or at the Lakers? Just like the Bucks with good trades or THE good draft choice with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks version 2021 are built on reflection and good management. So Randle really wants to take inspiration from the work Miwlaukee is doing to try and do the same in New York.
“It was wonderful to see, just because they built everything from A to Z. They didn’t create a great team or anything like that. It’s guys worked hard every day to get there. They must have faced obstacles before they got there and had to figure out how to overcome them. »Julius Randle
To finally win the title last summer, after having experienced disappointments in previous years during the playoffs.
“But it clearly worked, they figured out how to do it and they really did something unique. Especially in the current league, building something like that without getting a lot of players together. They really built it all up. »Julius Randle
Especially since having suffered an injury synonymous with the end of the end in his first game in the NBA, Randle knows how important work is in the NBA and is invariably linked to success in the league. To go to the finals and have a chance to win a title, we will therefore have to work. Again and again.
“Personally, I know the effort and the difficulty and the time it takes to keep improving, the time you really need to put in. And I know how special it is and how hard it is to get there, because I know how much time I spent working. I haven’t made it to the NBA Finals yet. None of us did. It’s hard. »Julius Randle
And as the Knicks play against the weakened Bucks tonight, they are aware that they are still far from where the Bucks were able to go for the title. There are still some flaws to resolve in attack, a rhythm that is sometimes more viable to find in attack. But the group is united and walks together with the same conviction. And the state of mind ofEvan Fournier is the same as Julius Randle. Winning the same way you do the Bucks would be the greatest victory.
“It felt good to see a team like that win the title. You can support them for sure. I also think that as a team you enjoy winning more than a team that has just assembled superstars to win than when you have won by having built through the draft and in a way you have. everything built and you got better and better. I think it’s easy to encourage, that’s for sure. »Evan Fournier
In a conference Is very dense, Tom thibodeau reminds us that it will be necessary to demonstrate a flawless state of mind in order to be able to claim to legitimize certain ambitions.
“The Eastern Conference is loaded with big teams. So every night, you have to give your all. »Tom Thibodeau
But this season, the Knicks may finally be able to rely on the draft pick they were lacking. Indeed, Rj barrett, third pick in 2019, shows serious signs of progress this season. While he has already announced that he wants to be a candidate for the best five defensive end of the season, it is in attack that he has recently impressed. He has scored 20 or more points in his last 4 games and broke his career record against the Pelicans with 35 points last weekend. With a lot of improvements in his attacking game, he impresses and posts good averages with 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, all at 49.1% shooting and 41.7% at three points. And Julius Randle does not fail to highlight this progress.
“It’s just a matter of trust. He attacks the circle really well, he shoots well at three points. He can see the game in transition. »Julius Randle
So with a reinforced workforce and players who improve each year, the Knicks are not yet real candidates for the NBA title. But with a seasoned collective of a few more years together and good choices from the general management, the Knicks would be wrong not to believe themselves capable of following the path opened by the Knicks last year and that we had not seen in the league since the Spurs or the Pistons.
Via The Athletic
