The New York Knicks will enter 2024-25 with more pomp and circumstance than they’ve had since the days Carmelo Anthony was their top player.
Already, a growing chorus of fans is asking if Knicks captain Jalen Brunson has made a greater impact on the franchise than Anthony. Brunson’s become so beloved in the Big Apple that the franchise even brought over his former Villanova teammates. With Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo in the fold, they’ve even been dubbed the ‘Nova Knicks.’
In the process, they may have made Julius Randle the odd man out. The problem is exacerbated by the reality that the team improved significantly after trading for OG Anunoby last season. The only solution would be to bring DiVincenzo or Hart off the bench. Yet, both players played an essential role New York.
This has led to questions about’s Randle future with the Knicks. Would he sign a contract extension? Will he be traded? Is asking him to play center going to work?
Knicks Newcomer Mikal Bridges Details Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle Fit
For all anyone knows, Randle will be just fine in the Knicks’ reworked rotation.
Bridges, who recently spoke with Responsible Gaming’s Spencer Davies, says that Randle and Brunson “complement each other…” For him, playing off of Brunson will be easy because of their longtime relationship. Establishing chemistry with Randle will be a process, but not one he sees as a daunting task.
“I think they complement each other, before I even got here, so well,” Bridges says. “…I know how to play with Jalen when he has the ball; it’s just from throughout the years and the chemistry we had. And I think trying to build that with Julius in the preseason and training camp. They were good last year. I think I’ll just come in and I could fit.”
Bridges even went so far as to detail the ways he could benefit the team’s All-Star duo. From his comments, he plans to be more of a complementary piece. For a player who was tasked with being the No. 1 option in Brooklyn, with mixed results, this is somewhat unexpected.
“…I think it’s gonna be easier for him and JB [with] me out there spacing the floor and being able to do a lot of things — cutting, dribble-handoffs, coming off ball-screens, anything to help those guys out and everybody else. I think it starts with them two. Building talent around them is gonna make their jobs easier and make us tough to guard.”
With that being said, Bridges struggled to maintain his defensive efficacy while taking on such a heavy offensive burden. His efficiency also suffered, a major talking point for the Nets for several months. From that perspective, his desire to be a star in his role is more understandable.
As he heads into next season, he admits that he wants to get back to his normal self.
“Just being more efficient all around the board,” Bridges says. “I think that’s something I’ve always been my whole life, so it’s kinda been weird the past year-and-a-half not being as efficient as I want to.”
“Being able to do everything offensively, defensively, but also maintaining that while being efficient… It’s not easy, but it’s what I’m aiming for.”
Limited Small-Ball?
As for whether he’ll make those strides while playing heavy minutes, or even starting, at power forward? The Pennsylvania native leaves the door open for that possibility. However, while switchable defenses and small-ball have become synonymous, the 6-foot-6 and 209 pound Bridges doesn’t sound too keen on playing that way.
“They’re some strong dudes,” Bridges says of power forwards. “I’m strong in my own way, but they’re some strong dudes. We’ll see. I feel like we’ll have a lot of situations where we just switch everything or switch 1-4. It wouldn’t look too bad unless we’re playing a big team like Cleveland…”
Bridges doesn’t make the rules or craft the gameplan. In the end, it may not really matter what he believes the Knicks should do. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting storyline to follow, especially as it relates to Randle.
