Last season, Julius Randle was the No. 1 reason the Knicks were able to nab a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and make their first playoff appearance since 2012-13.
And this season, as unfair as it is to blame the Knicks' woes on any one player, he is the No. 1 reason the Knicks seem to be heading into a tailspin.
After what appeared to be a career-changing 2020-21 season, the Knicks gave Randle a $117 million contract extension with the belief he was going to be the player that could help lead them to the next level.