Carmelo Anthony enjoyed the best season of his career in 2012-13, earning Second Team All-NBA honors and leading the New York Knicks to their first home playoff seed in a decade. A franchise desperate to be relevant interpreted that patchwork roster's run as reason to double down, rather than what it was — a sub-championship ceiling for both the star and his team — and the Knicks promptly began careening downhill.
Julius Randle enjoyed the best season of his career in 2020-21, earning Second Team All-NBA honors and leading the Knicks to their first home playoff seed in a decade.