Terrapins

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a month away, BasketballNews.com will have you covered from top to bottom. The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago began the pre-draft process for a number of hopeful prospects as they try to break into the league.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Ohio State swingman Malaki Branham, who averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in his lone season with the Buckeyes. We discussed his start in basketball, playing in his home state, his second-half surge and how he'll translate to the next level.
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Let's start with your background. What's your hometown?
Malaki Branham: "My hometown is Columbus, Ohio, where I was born and raised."
Could you tell me a little bit about your family background?
Branham: "I have a small circle. It's my mom, my little brother, my uncle, my auntie and my grandma. That's about it. My trainer is also like family. I've been working with him for seven-plus years, so he became family."
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Branham: "No, not really. When I was younger, I played soccer and baseball, but basketball has always been everything to me."
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When did you first start getting into organized basketball?
Branham: "Probably when I was 8 or 9. I started playing AAU early on, and things just took off from there."
At what point in your development did it start to click that you might have a bright future in basketball?
Branham: "It was my eighth-grade year. I dunked on somebody; that was my first in-game dunk but my first "poster" too. I thought, 'If I keep working, I can do something with this.'"
How tall were you when that happened?
Branham: I was around 6-2, 6-3. And I'm 6-5 now, so I've grown a few inches.
Being from Ohio, what was it like to be able to stay home and play at Ohio State?
Branham: "It meant everything to me, getting to play for my hometown school. I loved every second I was there on campus with the coaching staff and everyone. It was a good feeling to play for my hometown and have my family watch me too."
In our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> on BasketballNews.com, we have you projected to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 14. How would you feel if that ended up being the case?
Branham: "It would be cool! Many people back home want me to stay and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's just a blessing to be in this position."
I saw you early on in the season at the Fort Myers Classic. At that point, you were starting, but not getting a lot of shots. Then, midway through the season, you started to explode. From your perspective, what began to click for you to elevate your game so dramatically?
Branham: "I didn't have the biggest role on the team to start. In the beginning, I was trying to fit in. Then, when we played Wisconsin at home, I had 0 points and 4 turnovers. I texted Coach [Chris] Holtmann after the game and thanked him for letting me play through the mistakes that I was making. I was just frustrated with myself, I looked in the mirror and said, 'We need to get to work.'
"From that point, the Nebraska game came, and I kept that in the back of my head and wanted to make sure that the game wasn't just a fluke. I just wanted to be consistent the rest of the year, and I feel like I did that."
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The Big Ten was stacked this year. I stayed in Indianapolis to watch the entirety of the conference tournament. Who do you think was your toughest matchup this year?
Branham: "The toughest 1-on-1 matchups that I had to guard, I'd probably say Fatts Russell from Maryland; he's a smaller guard, but he's so quick and shifty. I'd also have to say Johnny Davis and Jaden Ivey as well.
"That quick first step that lets [Jaden] get to the rim with ease (makes him a tough matchup). Also, he gets up in the air and gets his shot off from anywhere he wants. With him, I feel like it's him being more explosive than everybody. Johnny is just smooth. He's a bigger guard as well. He gets to the mid-range just like me, so making it tough on him is hard to do. I feel like he plays through a lot of contact.
"Those guys were both a year ahead of me, so they had a feel for Big Ten basketball. I just had to get a feel for how they moved, but I felt like I matched up with them pretty well."
What was your driving force for going all-in on the draft?
Branham: "Really, it was just getting good feedback. I kept working and put my head down, and after, I kept getting good news. I felt like it was too good of an option for me to pass up. I feel like entering the draft with two feet is what I wanted, so I'm just excited to be in this process."
Can you describe yourself as a player?
Branham: "I would say that I'm aggressive. I'm always in attack mode. When I'm between those four lines, I'm in attack mode and aggressive. In the second half of the season, I was aggressive, looking for my shot. I'm also always trying to facilitate for my team too."
Are there any specific aspects of your game that you're looking to improve?
Branham: "Probably tightening my handle. I will be on the wing against bigger and older guys, so I need a tight handle. I'd also like to work on my defensive abilities as well. I'm not going to be a guy who is handling the ball all the time right away, so I need to get some stops on the defensive end to earn that trust on the offensive end."
Are there any current or former players that you model your game after?
Branham: "I watch a lot of Khris Middleton, Devin Booker and those types of guys that can get to the mid-range and are three-level scorers. Those are the guys I model my game after."
If you had to use one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Branham: 'I'd go with resilient. There will always be tough times in life, but I'm always pushing through. This year was a good example of me being resilient. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't playing as well as I could have, and in the second half, I found a way to push through and get through it."
Let's pretend I'm an NBA general manager. What is your elevator pitch to me as to why I should select you?
Branham: "I live and breathe basketball. I'm a hard worker. So many people say that, but I am genuinely a hard worker. I wake up at 5 a.m. every day and put the work in to perfect my craft. You should select me because I do that and want to get better every day to become the best I possibly can become."
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Matt Babcock speaks with Ohio State wing Malaki Branham about his second-half surge, how he'll translate to the NBA and more.

2022 NBA Draft Q&A: Ohio State's Malaki Branham leans on resilience

After a recent loss to No. 4 Purdue, the No. 17 Fighting Illini (13-5, 6-2 B1G) visited the Maryland Terrapins with hopes to rebound with a win. Illinois was without junior big man Kofi Cockburn, who has dominated the interior as one of the best centers in the country this season &mdash; averaging 21.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest. Cockburn was out due to concussion protocol.
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Maryland (10-9, 2-6 B1G) and interim head coach Danny Manning are led by senior Eric Ayala. The athletic wing is averaging 16.3 points per game, followed by Fatts Russell and Donta Scott who are both averaging 12.0 points per game. Coming into tonight, the Terps led the head-to-head matchup 12-7 all-time.
Scott scored 25 off the bench for the Terps, while the Illinois bench provided only 13 points as a unit. Russell, Hakim Hart and Qudus Wahab combined for 36 for Maryland.
Alfonso Plummer got started early for the Illini by scoring five of the team&rsquo;s first seven points. He flashed a nasty step-back three right off the bat, displaying the tough shot making that has him second in the Big Ten in three-point shooting. Ayala answered soon after with a deep pull-up triple of his own to give the Terps the 18-17 lead.
Maryland took a 37-35 lead into the break behind 10 points from Scott and 8 from Russell and Wahab. Plummer led all scorers at the half with 14, connecting on 4-of-6 from behind the arc.&nbsp;
The two teams started trading threes at the start of the second half, with the game tied 51-51 at the 13-minute mark. Illinois appeared to be gaining momentum, but Maryland never quit and fought their way to a lead with seven minutes to go behind a nice run from Julian Reese. The Terps held a 70-63 lead at the under 4-minute timeout, much thanks to Scott who was a menace on the inside all night &mdash; he led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.&nbsp;
In the end, the Fighting Illini simply could not get stops when they needed them. Maryland pulled away down the stretch, securing an 81-65 victory. Coach Manning said, "We wanted to create paint touches. With Kofi being out it gave us an opportunity. Our guys continue to grind and work very hard."
Illinois remains winless against ranked teams this season, but the team is still in contention for the conference title. I believe their next game against Michigan State is a must-win.
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UPCOMING
Illinois will host No. 14 Michigan State on Tuesday.
Maryland will visit Rutgers on Tuesday evening.
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The Maryland Terrapins managed an upset at home, taking down Illinois 81-65 behind Donta Scott's 25 points.

Maryland knocks off Illinois behind Scott's big night

Media Day became personal for Andrew Wiggins. The 26-year-old spent his time at the podium on the offensive. He fired back at reporters who asked him about his vaccination status and availability for the upcoming season with the intensity that&rsquo;s been absent for most of his career.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll say something when I&rsquo;m ready,&rdquo; Wiggins said. &ldquo;You know, the only thing the media has done is kind of make it bigger than it has to be. So like I said, I will say my side of everything when I&rsquo;m ready. I don&rsquo;t work on y&rsquo;all&rsquo;s time. I work on my time.&rdquo;
Wiggins is entitled to his own opinion and feelings, but he isn&rsquo;t entitled to his own facts. And the facts are that the Warriors are 17 days away from their home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the city of San Francisco has a mandate stating that unvaccinated individuals can&rsquo;t enter large indoor gatherings, which includes playing 41 home games at Chase Center.&nbsp;
Draymond Green said that he will not try to persuade or force Wiggins to get the vaccine, and that also seems to be the consensus among the team (at least publicly). However, the longer Wiggins remains unvaccinated, the more it forces the Warriors to &ldquo;adapt accordingly" in Wiggins&rsquo; absence, as Stephen Curry described it.
For the Warriors, here is what that adaptation could look like.
Struggle In Filling The Void
When the Warriors acquired Wiggins in exchange for D&rsquo;Angelo Russell a couple seasons ago, they envisioned a reliable option at small forward who could score, defend and run in transition. And that&rsquo;s exactly what they got. Wiggins is at his best when he is in a complementary role. When there is no pressure to be "the guy," like he dealt with for many years in Minnesota. For the Warriors, defense is where Wiggins truly shines.
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At the 25-second mark, notice how solid Wiggins&rsquo; footwork is. He hounded Bradley Beal at every step during that possession, which resulted in a shot-clock violation. At the 58-second mark, he fights around the screen just enough to recover and make a steal. If Wiggins isn't available, Golden State would lose a solid defensive presence who complements Green.
Offensively, Wiggins thrives when he&rsquo;s not doing too much. With the Warriors, he has the luxury of running in transition and attacking the paint. With Klay Thompson being out until January at the earliest, the Warriors would need someone to alleviate the scoring burden off of Curry and help space the floor a little. Without Wiggins, the Warriors will struggle to consistently replicate what he brings.&nbsp;
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Wings By Committee&nbsp;
In the event that Wiggins isn't available, here are some options that the Warriors have at small forward: Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee and Moses Moody.
On paper, Iguodala would seem like the most likely choice to start. After all, he knows the system and all of its nuances by heart. However, it&rsquo;s been seven seasons since Iguodala&rsquo;s been a full-time starter, and he probably can't provide much in terms of scoring. Ideally, the Warriors could let him play the first seven minutes before substituting him out.
Despite his run of injuries, the Warriors are hoping that Porter can stay healthy and provide productive minutes. Before missing time, Porter was known for being a solid defender and was a career 40.2% shooter from deep. The Warriors could just give Porter the starting job to see what he can do. They may not have a choice.
Another option that the Warriors could consider for home games is Damion Lee. Granted, Lee is considered and used as more of a guard. However, at 6-foot-6, he does have the size of a three and a willingness to defend.
Last season, the Warriors thew James Wiseman into the fire as 19-year-old rookie to mixed results. The Wiggins saga may force the team to do the same with Moody. Moody fits the 3-and-D profile that the Warriors want. At Arkansas, he shot 38% from three while being a disruptor on defense. However, the Warriors would want to develop Moody slowly.&nbsp;
It remains to be seen whether Wiggins will decide. If he chooses to stay unvaccinated, it'll be interesting to see how Golden State fills that void.

If Andrew Wiggins refuses to get vaccinated and misses the Warriors' 41 home games, how will Golden State replace his production?

Wigging Out: How losing Andrew Wiggins would impact the Warriors

Headlined by Chris Webber and Paul Pierce, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed its newest inductees by way of the Class of 2021 on Saturday evening.
To celebrate such a momentous night, Basketball News has compiled the full speeches for each addition to the prestigious Hall-of-Fame club.
Chris Webber
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Chris Webber. <a href="https://t.co/hmuQAtXlka">pic.twitter.com/hmuQAtXlka</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436831849888821251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
Paul Pierce 
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Paul Pierce. <a href="https://t.co/jPZXqlxQgT">pic.twitter.com/jPZXqlxQgT</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436870056064036868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Chris Bosh
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Chris Bosh. <a href="https://t.co/20iV5EHi64">pic.twitter.com/20iV5EHi64</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436876737485365250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Toni Kukoc
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Toni Kukoc. <a href="https://t.co/lIIkCMqX9C">pic.twitter.com/lIIkCMqX9C</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436842112578998273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Ben Wallace
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Ben Wallace. <a href="https://t.co/cGNYiPsTng">pic.twitter.com/cGNYiPsTng</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436853100833386496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a>
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Rick Adelman
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Rick Adelman. <a href="https://t.co/m9dxjIyj1o">pic.twitter.com/m9dxjIyj1o</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436849739593666561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Yolanda Griffith
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Yolanda Griffith. <a href="https://t.co/EvPIb8d6KC">pic.twitter.com/EvPIb8d6KC</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436845555242704905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Bill Russell
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Bill Russell. <a href="https://t.co/Vv3ibAe13Q">pic.twitter.com/Vv3ibAe13Q</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436841113751543808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a>
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Jay Wright
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Jay Wright is now officially an enshrined member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> <a href="https://t.co/PV1SEkOKb7">pic.twitter.com/PV1SEkOKb7</a>
&mdash; Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoophall/status/1436862802048786432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Howard Garfinkel
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Howard Garfinkel is now officially an enshrined member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a>
&mdash; Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoophall/status/1436849122372374533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Val Ackerman
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Val Ackerman. <a href="https://t.co/1UgEBqZg33">pic.twitter.com/1UgEBqZg33</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436836715323432960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
Lauren Jackson
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Lauren Jackson. <a href="https://t.co/vn5anUdlYO">pic.twitter.com/vn5anUdlYO</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436874209368711169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a>
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Bob Dandridge
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Bob Dandridge. <a href="https://t.co/gBAjtA8gEx">pic.twitter.com/gBAjtA8gEx</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436863876302348288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Pearl Moore
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Pearl Moore is the greatest scorer in the HISTORY of women&rsquo;s college basketball - Averaged 30 PTS per game in an era that didn&rsquo;t have a 3-point shot. - Scored in double figures in every college game she played in. - Scored 4,061 points in her collegiate career. Hall of Famer ✅ <a href="https://t.co/Vz3DnZFeSW">pic.twitter.com/Vz3DnZFeSW</a>
&mdash; The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUndefeated/status/1436857929609658373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Clarence "Fats" Jenkins
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Recognized posthumously is Clarence &ldquo;Fats&rdquo; Jenkins, captain of the legendary New York Rens, 8-time Colored Basketball World Champion in the 1920&rsquo;s and 30&rsquo;s, and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> honoree. <a href="https://t.co/yBsm8xASUn">pic.twitter.com/yBsm8xASUn</a>
&mdash; Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoophall/status/1393954872991567875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Cotton Fitzsimmons
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/21HoopClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#21HoopClass</a> enshrinee, Cotton Fitzsimmons. <a href="https://t.co/p5AfdXQTUf">pic.twitter.com/p5AfdXQTUf</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1436858182811504640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a>
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Check out all of the speeches as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed the Class of 2021 inductees on Saturday.

Basketball Hall of Fame honors Class of 2021 inductees: Full speeches

Much has been made about the New York Knicks&rsquo; lack of success over the past two decades. The Knicks have won just one playoff series this century. They've also had only one player garner consideration for the Most Valuable Player award &mdash; Carmelo Anthony, during the 2012-13 campaign when New York advanced to the Eastern Conference semis.&nbsp;
Knicks fans are hoping that both those ignominious facts change this spring.&nbsp;
To that end, Julius Randle has done his part, and then some. But to this point, he hasn't received much mention of being among the league&rsquo;s most valuable players.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s why his name belongs in the conversation...
Back in December, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2021-nba-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> <a href="https://www.espn.com/basketball/story/_/id/30427736/2020-21-nba-preview-wins-standings-projected-all-30-nba-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlets</a> <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-predictions-2020-21-standings-playoff-projections-picks/xh1qswkji7pm1dnc5qk4a55sz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected</a> New York to finish with one of the league's worst records. Las Vegas set the Knicks over/under win total at 22. Well, with fewer than a dozen contests remaining in the 2020-21 season, the Knicks have already racked up 34 victories and find themselves in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, meaning this once woebegone franchise would host Game 1 of an opening-round playoffs series if the postseason began today.&nbsp;
And the biggest reason, by far, for New York's shocking success has been the awe-inspiring play of its All-Star power forward.
Randle ranks inside the top-15 in the NBA this season in scoring, rebounding and dishing, averaging a whopping 24.0 points, 10.5 boards, 6.0 assists and 2.2 made three-pointers, while posting a True Shooting percentage of 57.3%. With less than a month left in the regular season, he is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 20/10/6 and two made threes per game (joining Russell Westbrook, who matched those numbers during his otherworldly 2016-17 MVP campaign).&nbsp;
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<a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=single&amp;order_by_asc=0&amp;order_by=ws&amp;type=totals&amp;per_minute_base=36&amp;per_poss_base=100&amp;is_playoffs=N&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=5&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=ast_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=.40&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=fg3_pct&amp;ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B4%5D=10&amp;cstat%5B4%5D=trb_per_g&amp;lg_id=NBA&amp;birth_country_is=Y&amp;age_min=0&amp;age_max=99&amp;height_min=0&amp;height_max=99&amp;season_start=1&amp;season_end=-1&amp;college_id=0&amp;as_comp=gt&amp;as_val=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Basketball-Reference</a>, Randle is also on track to become the second player ever to average more than 10 rebounds and more than five assists while shooting over 40% from behind the three-point arc and over 80% from the charity stripe. The only other player currently in the exclusive club is Larry Bird (who notched those numbers in 1984-85, winning the MVP award in the process).&nbsp;
To put Randle's superlative statistics in context to his contemporaries this season, consider this:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has scored more points than Kawhi Leonard and Devin Booker in 2020-21.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has grabbed more rebounds than Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has handed out more assists than Stephen Curry and Ben Simmons.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has made more three-pointers than Trae Young and Bradley Beal.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle is shooting a higher percentage from three than Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving.</li>
<li aria-level="1">For the analytics crowd, Randle has a higher VORP than Chris Paul and Rudy Gobert.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/valuable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cambridge Dictionary defines</a> the word "valuable" as "very helpful or important." Those adjectives most certainly apply to Randle, whose contributions have been indispensable to the Knicks.&nbsp;
He leads New York in total points, boards, dimes, steals, made three-pointers and made free throws. Randle is the only player in the NBA this season that is his team's outright leader in each of those statistical categories.
Earlier this month, in a victory against the Dallas Mavericks, Randle racked up 44 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. After the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31273427/new-york-knicks-win-fifth-straight-longest-streak-seven-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that Randle's "aggressiveness set the tone," adding, "I've said it many times: He's our engine. He makes us go."
In last Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Hawks, Randle became just the fourth player in NBA history (joining James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Westbrook) to tally 40+ points and more than 10 rebounds, 10 made free throws, 5 assists and 5 made triples in a single game. Coming into this season, no Knickerbocker, in the 70-year history of the franchise, had ever recorded a 40/10/5/5 game. Randle's done it twice in the past two weeks.&nbsp;
Legendary football coach Bill Parcells is <a href="https://excellentsuccessdotorg.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/the-most-important-ability-is-availability/#:~:text=One%20of%20his%20famous%20sayings,the%20field%20playing%20the%20game." target="_blank" rel="noopener">credited</a> with coining the phrase "availability is the best ability," and that's another area where Randle has outpaced his peers (thanks in large part to Coach Thibs' fearlessness when it comes to leaning heavily on his key cogs). Randle has missed just one contest this season and leads the NBA in minutes played, just ahead of Nikola Jokic (RJ Barrett ranks third).
When determining a potential candidate's MVP credentials, team success is also undeniably part of the equation. As noted above, the Knicks have certainly exceeded expectations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Knicks have won 9 in a row. Julius Randle in that span: 31p | 10r | 1a | 5 3pt 40p | 11r | 6a | 6 3pt 16p | 10r | 7a | 1 3pt 33p | 5r | 10a | 2 3pt 44p | 10r | 7a | 6 3pt 32p | 8r | 5a | 5 3pt 34p | 10r | 4a | 2 3pt 26p | 8r | 5a | 1 3pt 15p | 10r | 11a | 1 3pt <a href="https://t.co/NHEUil7LBd">pic.twitter.com/NHEUil7LBd</a>
&mdash; StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1386043891288199169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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New York enters play on April 26 with a nine-game winning streak. The Utah Jazz, owners of the NBA's best record, are the only other team in the league to record a winning streak longer than eight games in 2020-21. <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=W&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to NBA.com</a>, the Knicks are the only team in the NBA to rank in the top five in both Defensive Rating (107.2) and Offensive Rating (116.5) in April. New York leads the league in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=W&amp;dir=-1">net rating</a> this month, having outscored their opponents by 119 points in the 13 games they have played.
Most pundits believe Jokic is a lock to win this season's Most Valuable Player Award, and rightfully so. Embiid, Curry and Luka Doncic, in some order, will likely round out the top four. It is very likely that one of those deserving four will end up winning the award.&nbsp;
Still, it can easily be argued that Randle deserves to land somewhere in the top 10, and if the Knicks can hold onto the fourth seed, he could rise as high as fifth.&nbsp;
Surprisingly, in NBA.com&rsquo;s most recent <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/kia-mvp-ladder-april-23-edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MVP ranking</a>, published late last week, senior writer Michael C. Wright did not have Randle listed among his top 15 players worthy of MVP consideration. When comparing Randle&rsquo;s statistical profile to certain players who are more frequently mentioned as MVP candidates, there appears to be some disconnect.&nbsp;
(For what it&rsquo;s worth, only five players in Knicks franchise history have ever finished in the top five in MVP voting: Willis Reed, Walt "Clyde" Fraizer, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony.)
Aside from having a chance to join that illustrious group, Randle also has a legitimate shot at becoming the first Knick to win Most Improved Player.
Over his first five seasons in the NBA (311 games), Randle made a grand total of 104 three-pointers. Through New York's first 60 games this season, he's knocked down 132 trifectas. He had dished out double-digit assists in a single game six times in his career coming into this season. Randle has seven such games in 2020-21.&nbsp;
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🗣 M-V-P Julius Randle started receiving MVP chants from the home crowd in MSG 👏 <a href="https://t.co/KmlEK8h8hT">pic.twitter.com/KmlEK8h8hT</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1386030093076627458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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"One of the best one-season turnarounds I have ever seen," Knicks announcer <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-julius-randle-lupica-20210424-fikelmmpe5gfhdk4ukpkzrejj4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Breen said</a> of Randle's current campaign, noting how the powerful power forward "has improved in every facet of the game."
During a national TV broadcast in mid-April, <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1383607382907883521?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Van Gundy declared</a> Randle is "definitely the most improved player in the league," adding that he deserves MVP consideration too.&nbsp;
However, Randle has made it clear that he'll judge this season not by the number of points or boards he tallies, but rather the number of wins and losses his team compiles. In an <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article he authored</a> for The Players Tribune in early March, Randle explained that his "main goal" was making sure the Knicks scale the standings. Randle wrote that taking a significant step forward in 2020-21 wasn't contingent upon posting impressive individual stats, but rather "about this entire Knicks team finding its best self."&nbsp;
Julius Randle is playing the best basketball of his life. Not coincidentally, the Knicks are on pace to finish a season with a winning percentage north of 55% for only the second time this century.&nbsp;
If you are wondering if New Yorkers are aware and appreciative of the importance of Randle's contributions&mdash;listen to the raucous "M-V-P" chants that rain down from the rafters every time he steps to the free-throw line inside Madison Square Garden.

Julius Randle isn't often mentioned among the NBA's candidates for Most Valuable Player. That should change, writes Tommy Beer.