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The New York Knicks had one of their best campaigns last season. They ended with a 41-31 record, and grabbed home-court advantage in the playoffs as the Eastern Conference 4th seed. Even though they got knocked out in the first round, the team has built a foundation for sustained success. After nearly a decade, the New York Knicks can be looked at as a top free-agent destination again.
Derrick Rose was excellent in the playoffs, so much, so that coach Tom Thibodeau benched Elfrid Payton. Julius Randle won the 2021 Most Improved Player award, and got MVP chants at Madison Square Garden, while coach Tom Thibodeau won the Coach of the Year award.
The Knicks have now acquired Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier in the offseason, which has received mixed reviews thus far.
How will the starting lineup of the New York Knicks look like in NBA 2K22?
Kemba Walker and Julius Randle should likely be the highest-rated players for the New York Knicks in NBA 2K22. Derrick Rose could be the third-best player, even though he will likely come off the bench.
On that note, here's a look at the NBA 2K22 predictions of the New York Knicks' starting lineup.
Center: Nerlens Noel - 79
Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks rotated a lot of players at the center position. Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson were often found exchanging starting and bench roles, while Taj Gibson was the primary center in the 2021 NBA playoffs. However, Noel saw the most minutes in the starting lineup, so we are considering him to be a starter in 2021-22 too.
Nerlens Noel, a 27-year-old big man out of Kentucky, had a decent campaign with the Knicks last season. He averaged 5.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting at 61% from the floor.
He ended last season (NBA 2K21) with an 80 rating and as a 'build of a rim' protector. He started the game with a rating of 76, but improved over the course of the year to 80. He has a 96-rated block rating along with a 94-rated Hustle and 95-rated Shot IQ.
We predict his rating to start off at 79 in NBA 2K22.
Power Forward - Julius Randle - 88
Arguably nobody else saw an increase in their NBA 2K rating the way Julius Randle did. He won the 2021 Most Improved Player award with the New York Knicks, and his 2K rating reflected that. Randle started off last season with an 80 rating, which shot up to 89 by the end of the year.
![Julius Randle's NBA 2K22 rating over the season [Source: 2kratings.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/86c8d-16304077030796-800.jpg)
Julius Randle recorded career-highs in points, assists, rebounds and steals along with that in all shooting categories. A career 29% three-point shooter, Randle worked on his perimeter shooting, and averaged 41% from beyond the arc last year, with higher shot attempts. He also led the league in minutes played, with 37.6 per game.
Seeing that 2K Sports has reduced the ratings of most of their players and the fact that Randle was a no-show in the 2021 NBA playoffs, we expect his rating to take at least a one-point hit. So we predict that he could start NBA 2K22 as an 88-rated player, which will likely increase as the season progresses.
Small Forward: Evan Fournier - 79
Evan Fournier's addition has been met with a lot of criticism, as the New York Knicks, yet again, seem to have overpaid for a player who could make little to no impact on the championship front.
Fournier had a mediocre campaign last season, and saw his NBA 2K rating drop. He ended NBA 2K21 with an 80 rating, and his revealed rating on NBA 2K22 is 79. He averaged 17.1 points per game during the 2020-21 NBA season with the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics, but just 13 points per game in his stint in Boston.
Only time will tell if Evan Fournier's signing would work out for the New York Knicks. However, one thing is for certain: the Knicks have bolstered their shooting and spacing. Fournier averaged a whopping 46% from beyond the arc on six attempts per game during his time in Boston.
Shooting Guard: RJ Barrett - 83
Another player who saw an astronomical rise in his NBA 2K rating last season was RJ Barrett. He started off NBA 2K21 with a 75 rating, which shot up to 83 by the end of the season.
Not many people will realise this, but RJ Barrett had a fabulous sophomore campaign with the New York Knicks last season. He improved in every single statistical category except steals, and did so while clocking higher minutes, lower turnovers and more shot attempts.
Barrett improved his efficiency from the field overall, which went from 32% from beyond the arc to 40%, with higher shot attempts; he also improved his free-throw shooting.
The 20-year-old guard shows incredible promise, and should be a valuable piece for the New York Knicks going forward. RJ Barrett's NBA 2K22 rating hasn't been revealed yet, but we expect it to start at 83 and go up as the 2021-22 season progresses.
Point Guard - Kemba Walker - 82
Kemba Walker's NBA 2K ratings have been a roller coaster ride. He started off with an 83 rating in NBA 2K14, which fell to 81 by NBA 2K16. He improved his game, and his rating shot up to 88 by NBA 2K19, but now it's back to 83.
Walker endured a decline in his production with the Boston Celtics last season, and was a shadow of himself in the playoffs. However, the Bronx native is returning to play with his hometown team, and he is incredibly excited to put on a show with Julius Randle and crew.
We predict his NBA 2K22 rating to start off with 82, which could increase as the season progresses. He could help the Knicks become a solid playoff team in the East, and could be the point guard Randle needs to get quality looks. Walker's scoring and shooting should also significantly boost the Knicks' offense.
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