{"id":191181,"date":"2021-03-01T08:30:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T05:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/julius-randle-rj-barrett-is-electric-duo-knicks-longed-for\/"},"modified":"2021-03-01T08:30:02","modified_gmt":"2021-03-01T05:30:02","slug":"julius-randle-rj-barrett-is-electric-duo-knicks-longed-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/julius-randle-rj-barrett-is-electric-duo-knicks-longed-for\/","title":{"rendered":"#Julius Randle-RJ Barrett is electric duo Knicks longed for"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Julius Randle-RJ Barrett is electric duo Knicks longed for<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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It wasn\u2019t supposed to be like this for the Knicks, who haven\u2019t had a legit 1-2 punch, a Butch and Sundance, in too many years to remember. For a few years there was hope that Amar\u2019e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony might become that \u2014 never happ<\/a>ened. As good as the \u201990s-era Knicks were Patrick Ewing went through a revolving-door of would-be wingmen.<\/p>\n

The Knicks?<\/p>\n

It figured their fans would spend the winter craning their necks enviously across the East River, at the 1-2 combo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that soon became a 1-2-3 trifecta when James Harden arrived. And look: the Nets are still the fancy showpiece team around here, even if only one or two of their Terrific Troika are available at any given time.<\/p>\n

But here the Knicks are, a game<\/a> shy of the midway point of the season, a game above .500 after a workaday 109-90 thrashing of the Pistons on Sunday to back up the thrilling 110-107 win over Indiana on Saturday.<\/p>\n

They finish February 9-5, their first winning month in four years, they are (not a typo) alone in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. As they did a year ago they won an 18th game on the last day of February \u2014 but last February had one extra day and last season had 25 extra games by now \u2014 all losses.<\/p>\n

And they have their own Butch and Sundance now, too.<\/p>\n

They have Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, a pair of left-handers who entered this season wearing a uniform that looked less like the Knicks\u2019 traditional orange-and-blue (or whatever nightly variation they go with) than the old one worn by the Riddler, covered head to toe in question marks.<\/p>\n

\"RJ
RJ Barrett and Julius Randle<\/figcaption>
NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They were both enigmas: Randle, always capable of filling up a scorebook, and Barrett, almost never able to see his name in sentences as a rookie that didn\u2019t also include the names \u201cZion Williamson\u201d and \u201cJa Morant.\u201d Both could make you shake your head some nights with their skill and obvious ceiling; both could make you shake your head and switch the channel. That was then, anyway.<\/p>\n

Now, they are the foundation of this team, and they ought to be the centerpiece of whatever they will become, the primary attraction for whatever supporting characters Leon Rose can attract in the coming weeks, months, years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s odd, too: Randle may well be in the conversation for the most improved player in the league. And simultaneously, Barrett is almost certainly the most improved player on the team. Together they have given the Knicks something beyond hope and faith, given their fans something for which to be grateful beyond the nightly grit, guile and sweat equity:<\/p>\n

Skill. Talent. And genuine upside.<\/p>\n

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