While the New York Knicks were one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals without Julius Randle, that doesn’t change the fact that the team needed him in the playoffs.

Perhaps the Knicks would have made it further with Randle aboard, but a shoulder injury knocked him out for the season in late January.

As he finishes the final stages of his recovery process, Randle is set to return to the Knicks to fill a massive need.

“He provides something that Knicks desperately need – a bigger guy that can go get his own shot. Because their wings now are mainly going to be mostly spot-up type guys. Obviously, everything revolves around (Jalen) Brunson, so he (Randle) represents that big wing that can win matchups, he can beat bigger guys off the dribble, he can post up smaller guys,” ESPN analyst Tim Legler said on NBA Today.

Brunson will be the core of the Knicks’ offense, but every team needs multiple ways to score in today’s NBA, and that’s what Randle provides. If Brunson isn’t on the floor, Randle should be there as well, and he’s one of the best power forwards in the game when it comes to shot creation.

When Brunson and Randle are both on the floor together, it gives the opponent a “pick your poison” dilemma. Do you give Brunson more attention so he can’t set the table for the offense, or do you put yourself in a position where you deny Randle a chance on a one-on-one situation where you’re unlikely to get the result you want?

Either scenario will be tough for opposing defenses to stop, and that’s why having Randle on the floor makes the Knicks a far more dangerous team compared to when he’s on the sidelines.

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