New York Knicks Stars Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle Among Bleacher Report Top 50
One full month into the 2023-24 NBA season, Bleacher Report put out its ranking of the top 50 players based on their efforts thus far. The New York Knicks have two players on the list, as Jalen Brunson placed 19th and Julius Randle was ranked 37th.
Randle, who was 55th on the top 100 list entering the preseason, got off to a rocky start after dealing with the side effects of offseason ankle surgery but has begun to resemble his two-time All-Star form. The fifth-year Knick has been one of the league's most impactful players over the past month, averaging 24.8 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the field.
Though the Knicks' in-season championship run ended with a one-sided loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday, Randle put forth his best effort of the season, earning 41 points on 14-of-19 from the field.
New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle have been solid so far this season, and are the motor behind the team's success
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Eighteen spots ahead of Randle is Brunson, who checks in at No. 19. The second-year Knicks continues to fulfill every expectation a $104 million contract burdened him with, as he leads the Knicks in scoring with a career-best 24.9 points a game through 20.
To the surprise of likely few, Denver's Nikola Jokic tops the list while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Tyrese Haliburton round out the top five.
Brunson and Randle will undoubtedly be the major deciding factors in helping the Knicks (12-8) expand upon last year's playoff trip that featured their first series victory since 2013. The duo returns to action on Friday night against Jayson Tatum and the rival Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).
