On All-Star Saturday Night, it was not the greatest night for Julius Randle. Julius Randle participated in the 3-point shooting contest as a replacement for Anfernee Simmons of the Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, Julius Randle would not make it past the first round, as he scored just 13 points. This occurred in front of his visibly disappointed three-year-old, Kyden.

In the short term, one can say that Julius Randle shouldn't participate in the 3-point contest anytime soon. In the big picture, the 3-point contest was one minor blip in a resurgent season for Randle. So far this season, Julius Randle is averaging a career-high 24.8 points per game and a career-high 10.8 rebounds per game.

Last season, it looked as if Randle's game was slowly starting to trend downward. Randle scoring average dropped by 4 points from the previous year. His FG percentage dropped from 45.6% to 41.1%. One couldn't help but wonder if Julius Randle was the long-term answer for the Knicks. As it turns out, Julius Randle needed a PG that would help bring his game to another level.

Enter Jalen Brunson.

Jalen Brunson | Image Credit: DailyKnicks.com

The acquisition of PG Jalen Brunson by the Knicks can be considered a gift by the basketball gods. It will always boggle my mind why the Mavericks did not resign him. Nevertheless, the acquisition of Brunson had given the Knicks a formidable 1-2 duo in Brunson and Randle.

The Brunson and Randle duo has become the most reliable pick-and-roll duos in the NBA. Julius Randle credits Jalen Brunson for his increased efficiency overall. Randle also credits Brunson for being one of the best teammates that he ever played with.

Jalen Brunson is averaging 23.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. One can only wonder why he was not chosen as an All-Star reserve. It goes without saying that the Knicks would not be in the playoff picture without Brunson. It has been a long time since the NY Knicks have had a PG that has created this level of buzz in the Big Apple. It's also been a while since the Knicks have had a dynamic duo that's been this impactful.

The Knicks' front office must continue to build around this duo effectively with acquisitions such as Brunson's former college teammate Josh Hart. For now, one can expect that Kyden Randle will not be disappointed with his father and Jalen Brunson as a duo. Exciting times are ahead for Knicks fans.


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