New York Knicks All-Star’s 2K Rating Causing Controversy

New York Knicks fans think NBA 2K experts have no idea how good Julius Randle is.

As 2K begins to reveal its official player rankings for the latest iteration of its long-running NBA simulation video game series, some Knicks fans have taken issue with how it judged the two-time All-Star: According to rankings posted on official social media, Randle will debut as the 48th best player in the game, with an overall total of 85.

While Randle continues to have a somewhat polarizing reputation among Knicks fans, some of whom wonder if he can headline a championship run, nearly all were surprised by his relatively low ranking.

KnicksMuse, a Knicks fan page well known for collecting statistics and data on New York, noted that Randle sits behind Cleveland star Evan Mobley despite outperforming him in several major statistical categoriesMobley beat Randle for the final spot on the game’s top 10 power forwards, a list dominated by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Another user@TobeSoprano, took offense to Randle being placed behind rising talents like Scotte Barnes and Franz Wagner. Being placed behind Wagner, currently starring with the Orlando Magic, also irked @MoreViral_Marc, who invoked a GIF of an incredulous Michael Jordan to express his displeasure.

Disparaging Randle is perhaps one of the most pervasive examples of recency bias in modern NBA analysis: The sixth-year New Yorker has made his lackluster performances in the 2021 postseason and subsequent non-playoff campaign long forgotten, having reached the NBA All-Star Game in each of the last two appearances.

Randle’s injuries have plagued each of the Knicks’ last two playoff appearances, though. He returned from an ankle injury suffered late in the 2023 regular season, but he clearly wasn’t the same player for the Knicks’ dozen playoff games. He hasn’t played for the Knicks since January after a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely.

Sentencing Randle to the 48th spot on the NBA’s All-Time Players list seems like an unnecessary punishment for injuries beyond his control. Some might overlook Randle’s game-changing abilities because he’s not part of the vaunted “Nova Knicks” contingent, but they do so at their peril: Over the past two seasons, Randle has averaged 24.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, which is in the top 25 of all NBA players over that span.

“NBA 2K25” is scheduled for worldwide release on September 6.

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