Stephen A. Smith is extremely passionate when it comes to the New York Knicks. Over the years, he has hit them with some harsh criticisms, especially when it comes to owner James Dolan, who has been known for making a plethora of bad decisions over the years. More recently, however, Smith has been praising the Knicks thanks to their quick turnaround which led them to the NBA Playoffs as a four-seed. Unfortunately, their good graces came to an end last night as they were bounced out of the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks in just five games.
With reality setting in, Smith gave the Knicks some words of wisdom following what proved to be an anticlimactic return to the postseason. Smith particularly took aim at Julius Randle, stating that while Randle is a good player, the Knicks will never go far with him as their premier option.
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"Julius Randle is not a No. 1 option. ... Julius Randle is an elite No. 3 option, a quality No. 2 option, but damn sure ain't a No. 1 option," Smith explained. This effectively means that the Knicks should be looking to make a big move in the offseason. That is certainly easier said than done, and it remains to be seen if there are any free agents who could fit the bill.
Either way, this was a season to build on for the Knicks, and it will be interesting to see how they develop, moving forward.
