The verdict is finally out! With almost 20 games into the season, which team won the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns-Julius Randle trade? Well, looking at the points table, the New York Knicks seemed to have clinched the W in the season’s first leg. It’s too early to judge with more than five months of action left. However, fans, especially of the Big Apple team and former NBA players, spearheaded by Gilbert Arenas, dropped a similar verdict.
Long story short, they all unanimously feel the Knicks have won the trade after he took over the team’s frontcourt. In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the crew discussed the winner of the blockbuster trade. The crew included Rashad McCants and Nick Young. While the former Lakers player nodded in agreement, Arenas and McCants did the talking.
Gilbert Arenas expressed his pick by defending the criticism that was laid out on Karl-Anthony Towns – the softness. The ex-Warriors said, “The way the team plays… there’s no softness on amongst the team. So it’s a good thing for them. I think they’re going to benefit in the long run. He got some big f***ing feet.”
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On the other hand, McCants, who picked up Randle’s injury-riddled last season, said, “I think they went what 10-2… Or something like that when he was playing before he got hurt, but now we don’t get to see what he could do with that new squad but Kat and Mitchell Robinson, I think, gives you a Rudy Gobert-Kat Minnesota kind.”
Even though the duo had different takes, the bottom line is, the Knicks won the trade. Well, let’s see what the fans have to say.
Fans declare KAT as the winner of the trade, as they rip apart Julius Randle
Tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves suffered an overtime loss against the Houston Rockets. It’s pretty much the story of the Wolves this season. Julius Randle’s inclusion certainly didn’t improve the team’s run, but it has brought down the team in the points table. Last season, the team competed against the Thunder and Nuggets for the top seed, and this season, struggling at the 11th seed with an 8-9 record. A fan perfectly summing up the current equation wrote, “Knicks won the trade”.
Especially, a particular defensive play from Julius Randle caught the attention of the netizens, irking a barrage of criticism on the power forward. In the play, Randle could be motion-less, watching Rockets’ Fred VanVleet go past him for a driving layup. Reacting to the play, a fan wrote, “Managed to sum up his career in one clip.” Most importantly, the video title reads, “No effort on D, turnover machine on O.”
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Every Knicks fan… pic.twitter.com/2rkfyRmoSU
— BigDaddyShane (@ShaneHall145) November 27, 2024
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While JR produces 20+ ppg, his presence doesn’t match Towns’ impact on the Wolves. A fan wrote, “Thibs probably smiling somewhere. That rotation was a weak effort.” The Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau struggled with a shorthanded lineup last year and still does, but Kat has made all the difference on the paint.
Moreover, another fan didn’t seem surprised, as they wrote, “Randle is and always has been HOT GARBAGE.” While it’s too early and unjust to give a verdict with just one play. The Knicks (10-7) have a better record than the Wolves. So, let’s wait until the end of the season to know the real verdict. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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Did the Knicks really win the trade, or is it too soon to call it?
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