Julius Randle has been on a tear over his last 15 games, averaging 29.3 points per game while shooting 55 percent from the field, building his case for what could be another All-NBA season.
Randle poured in 35 points on Wednesday night against the Bulls while shooting 56.5 percent from the field, leading Sal to realize that the Knicks' exhaustive hunt for the star to finally put the team over the top is no longer necessary.
"Julius Randle is a championship piece for the New York Knicks. You saw it again [Wednesday] night, as you saw it on Sunday," Sal said. "Randle and [Jalen] Brunson, without the clutter of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, with a cleaned-up starting five, you saw Randle and Brunson, front and center, be the lead players, the All-Stars on this team. I think the narrative of the Knicks needing another star or superstar to win a championship, that is dead. That is over.
"I'm not saying they don't need another piece on the roster…but right now, with Brunson, Randle, and Anunoby, this team, if they add the right piece or two, can win a championship."
Randle has heard his share of criticism during his time with the Knicks, specifically his playoff struggles, which continued last year while he was nursing a bum ankle that required offseason surgery. Sal says that will change this year if he's healthy, and if the Knicks could make some more marginal improvements, like adding a shooting guard and a backup point guard, New York will be ready to make a run with Randle and Brunson leading the way as the team's stars.
"Year one, it was all on him. Year three, it was more about him not being 100 percent healthy," Sal said. "Julius Randle is everything we should want in a player in this town…he wants to win here. He wants to bring a championship to the Knicks. That is his motivation. Randle has been a tremendous Knick, and he's only getting better."
