Stephen A. Smith was fuming after the New York Knicks lost to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of their second-round series. The controversial analyst already criticized some players before the series ended, and after the Heat finished their job, Smith went off.
Specifically, he went after RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, two players that showed good things against the Cleveland Cavaliers but failed to make the same impact against the Heat.
“RJ Barrett, it’s going to be a long offseason,” Smith said of the Knicks forward. “You’re absolutely pathetic. … You gotta really look yourself in the mirror and work on your game young man.”
Moreover, he didn’t mince words when talking about Randle, who was supposed to help Jalen Brunson take this team to the promised land, but he struggled a lot against the Heat and couldn’t make his presence felt outside Game 2.
“Julius Randle, I am done with this man,” Smith continued. “I’m calling for the New York Knicks to trade him. You’re not going to win with him. [His body language when he misses shots] is like a virus that hits everybody. … Julius Randle is not the answer. Trade him. He needs to go. … Trade for Damian Lillard or call Karl-Anthony Towns. Find a way. He needs to go.”
A message to the Knicks pic.twitter.com/1VaFcCoYeA
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 13, 2023
Smith was fed up with the Knicks’ bad performance and didn’t hesitate to call them out for underperforming. The New Yorkers really had good expectations for this playoffs, as they turned their season around and played great basketball against the Cavaliers. However, they couldn’t keep up against the Heat and now are going back home.
New York Knicks Succumbed To Miami Heat In Game 6
Miami proved to be too much to bear for the Knicks. They had an inspired Jimmy Butler and another figure in Bam Adebayo, who, contrary to Randle, didn’t hide during the biggest moments.
The Heat are having a terrific Cinderella run, and they aren’t done yet. This team has everything to make it to the Finals, especially considering how inconsistent the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have been during their series.
The Knicks will try to make some moves this offseason, and who knows, perhaps these performances prompt them to move on from both Barrett or Randle.
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