NBA Star Power Index: Julius Randle has Knicks streaking toward playoffs; Stephen Curry's 30-point run snapped

Also, Joel Embiid says he's the MVP ... but he's almost certainly wrong

Welcome back to the NBA Star Index -- a weekly gauge of the players who are most controlling the buzz around the league. Reminder: Inclusion on this list isn't necessarily a good thing. It simply means that you're capturing the NBA world's attention. Also, this is not a ranking. The players listed are in no particular order as it pertains to the buzz they're generating. This column will run every week through the end of the regular season.  Count me among the contingent of naysayers who have expected all season for Julius Randle and the New York Knicks to come back to earth. I say that relatively, of course. It's not like the Knicks are making history. But they've won eight straight, their longest win streak since 2014, to assume the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference entering play on Thursday, and Randle is solidifying his All-NBA case with each passing game.  Don't start the MVP talk. That's too much.