In the 97-77 win over the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott subbed Julius Randle out in the fourth quarter, which left the second-year forward frustrated.
In only 16 minutes, Randle finished with two points and 12 rebounds. While Randle continues to rebound well, Scott has been critical of his effort on the defensive end.
Before the Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors, Scott continued talking about Randle at Monday’s practice according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Julius Randle wasn't exactly a team player last night. "Bottom line is, like I told home before, you've gotta grow up," Byron said.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 4, 2016
Byron on Randle: "The main thing I don’t like is when you take him out of games, how he reacts sometimes." Byron called it "immaturity."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 4, 2016
In response, Randle had the following to say about Scott’s comments, via Bresnahan:
Randle's response? "I don’t think there was defense on the court at all in the 4th and [Scott] singled me out. I think it was a team thing."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 4, 2016
Despite playing well, Randle was moved to the bench in favor of Larry Nance Jr. In these 14 appearances, Randle is averaging 10.8 points and 10.1 rebounds.
With Nance Jr. playing at a high level, it will be interesting to see if Randle can work his way back to the starting lineup. Scott has mentioned the possibility of playing both prospects together and it has worked well in limited minutes this season.
While the Lakers are on a three-game winning streak, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between Scott and Randle develops.