As he watched the Knicks go cold from deep and fall to the Heat in Sunday’s series opener at MSG, one thing became clear to Tiki Barber.
New York isn’t winning this series if Julius Randle remains on the bench in street clothes.
“I don’t think this team can get past the Miami Heat without Julius Randle,” Tiki said.
“I never thought he was that ‘it.’ I thought it was Jalen Brunson. But as I was watching that game, there was something missing. There’s an ‘it,’ there’s an attitude, there’s an aggressiveness that’s necessary for this Knicks team to feel like the Knicks, and without Julius Randle, they don’t have it.”
Randle went through warmups but was ruled out after reaggravating his sprained ankle in game five against the Cavaliers. His status is up in the air for game two, but Tiki and Tierney agree that even if he is at 70 or 80 percent, Randle needs to try and give it a go, because the Knicks won’t survive Miami without their All-Star.
“They won’t win this series if Julius Randle doesn’t get healthy, and quick,” Tiki said. “The next game is Tuesday, he needs to be playing.”
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