In his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers last year, forward Julius Randle showed his potential to be a great player in this league by being one of the few players in the NBA to average a double-double. This season, Randle has continued to show potential while expanding his game as more of a playmaker as well as a monster offensively and on the glass.
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Randle’s improvement has not gone unnoticed with the Lakers front office. General manager Mitch Kupchak has been especially impressed with Randle’s performance this season as he told Mark Medina of the OC Register:
“He was a man amongst boys. He had several games like that. He has the competitive energy that I’d love to see in young players,” Kupchak said. “That will get you a long way. He has to continue to grow skillwise on the court, when to bring it up, when not to bring it up and when to get to the hoop and when to shoot. But with that kind of energy and effort, he’ll be in this league for a long time.”
In 31 games this season, Randle is averaging 13.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. The third-year forward has become a vital part of Luke Walton’s game plan, and his presence has been sorely missed when he’s not on the floor for the Lakers.
Although the team has struggled in the month of December winning only two games, quite a few players on the roster have shown improvement. Along with Randle showing potential to be a great all-around player in the years to come, Larry Nance Jr., D’Angelo Russell, and Brandon Ingram has all been impressive at times with the different things they bring to the team this season.
Randle and company will get back to work on Sunday as they try to start the year off right and end a two-game skid with the Toronto Raptors coming to the Staples Center.