“Beware”: Despite Losing Julius Randle, Knicks Legend Warns NBA World of Ending 51 Years of Drought

The New York Knicks could not have had a better off-season, but what about the championship aspirations now? As most fans would know by now, the Knicks, in a blockbuster trade, landed Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yes, they lost Julius Randle and one of the Villanova guys—Donte DiVincenzo—but what does this mean for the Knicks’ upcoming season? As far as former Knicks legend Earl Monroe’s opinion is considered, he is quite positive about the changes and chances.

Appearing on the New York Post Sports, Steve Serby opened up about his conversation with former NBA star Earl Monroe. During the show, Serby revealed how Monroe told him about his fondness for the Villanova guys. The Pearl further revealed why he really likes Jalen Brunson as a player.

“If anybody understood the game, they could see that he was a leader. I’ve seen him smile, I think maybe this year, maybe twice. But I never seen his smile before, because he was so serious about the game,” Earl said during the interview. The fact Brunson left a record $113 million on the table for the Knicks to elevate their salary cap flexibility speaks volumes about his winning mentality with the team.

Now some may consider it as a risk-free option on JB’s part, considering the possibilities of injury. A majority section views it as one of the biggest sacrifices. And it seems The Pearl is among the latter ones. Further, on the show, Steve mentioned that Earl not only believes Brunson along with Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Towns can win the championship this year but believes the Knicks could’ve beaten the Celtics last season as well.

There is not an ounce of doubt that the Knicks landed one of the most well-rounded players in the league. Not only has Karl consistently averaged 20+ points since his second season in the league, but he has also been quite instrumental on the defensive end as well with his 1.3 blocks per game so far in his career.

“Earl the Pearl says, ‘Beware of the Knicks. This could be the year,’” Steve said on New York Post Sports. The fact that even after DiVincenzo was traded to the Knicks, the team is left with 3 Villanova guys — Brunson, Hart, Bridges—speaks volumes about the possible team synergy. And Towns’ addition may as well be just the cherry on the top. However, not everyone from the NBA community is so positive about the Knicks, even after these changes.

Paul Pierce has no faith in the Knicks winning the championship

The New York Knicks haven’t seen championship glory since 1973 (51 years). And while they had a strong 50-32 record last season, placing second in the Eastern Conference, there’s still a looming question. Can they actually break their decades-long drought following the Julius Randle trade? With Karl-Anthony Towns now in the mix, fans are more hopeful than ever.

Many believe this could finally be the year that the Knicks turn things around. But not everyone is buying into the hype. Enter former NBA star Paul Pierce, who made headlines with his blunt take on the Knicks’ title chances. “I don’t believe the Knicks will win a championship in my lifetime,” he said during an appearance on All The Smoke Productions. 

In fact, he does not even see the Knicks in the top 2 spots. “I think the top teams is going to be Boston & Philly, and then everybody else is kinda like in the same boat,” he said. With pre-season starting on October 4, it’s only a matter of time before we see a trailer of what’s about to come this upcoming season.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.