Who Could Replace Knicks' Julius Randle At NBA All-Star Game?
Even when they lose, the New York Knicks appear to be winning.
New York has lost Julius Randle to a dislocated shoulder for the next two-to-three weeks but that didn't stop coaches offering the Knicks' playmaker his third All-Star Game appearance on Thursday night. Randle appeared on the list of Eastern Conference reserves alongside teammate Jalen Brunson, giving the Knicks multiple men on the exhibition roster for the first time since 2013 (Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler).
But considering the fact that Randle has missed some high-profile minutes as is (including Thursday's comeback win over the Indiana Pacers), asking him to suit up in Indianapolis on Feb. 18 seems downright ludicrous. As it stands, however, there is no shortage of worthy candidates in the Eastern Conference able to step in for him ...
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Pascal Siakam, Indiana
If the All-Star Game is allowing late entrants based on trades, perhaps New York's OG Anunoby would be the most worthy option. Siakam is fresh off his second All-Star showing with Toronto last season and seemed well on his way to a third as one of the last holdovers from the Raptors' 2019 championship run. Siakam also has homer bias working in his favor: as it stands, the hosting Pacers (on pace for their first playoff showings since 2020) have but one representative (Tyese Haliburton) as they prepare to host and his status is in question as one could argue that the team is better off resting him considering he just came back from a hamstring ailment.
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Derrick White, Boston
National networks don't exactly use White to market the Celtics' national television appearances. Considering the fact that he's averaging less than 16 points a game, there's probably a reason for that. But in an era where today's halftime scores were final tallies in the 90s, White's defense deserves a little extra attention and reward. The powers that be have certainly show no hesitation to reward the Celtics, whose fans will no doubt enjoy the prescience of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
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Trae Young, Atlanta
There would be something so cruelly ironic about the player whose active legacy centers around five magic games against the Knicks usurping Randle but there's no denying that he has the support: he was second in the fan vote among Eastern Conference backcourt men behind only Haliburton and he just might have a legitimate case for snubbing: per Hoops Muse on X, the first seven men behind Young in combined points and assists (he's earned 1,592 in that regard) are all destined for Indianapolis.
