Los Angeles Lakers Luke Walton challenged big man Julius Randle in practice before Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, looking to get more out of him.
It appeared to have worked as Randle had one of his best games of the season, notching his third career triple-double 116-102 win.
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His stat line was impressive, as he had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists on 9-of-15 shooting in 37 minutes.
Walton commented on his challenge to Randle after the game, saying that he holds him to a higher standard than most because he believes he can be great.
Lakers second-year point guard D’Angelo Russell also believes Randle can be great, as he said there are many more triple-doubles to come for the 22-year-old, via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
D’Angelo Russell on Randle racking up his 3rd career triple-double: "I think he’s going to rack up way more than that in years to come."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) January 4, 2017
Randle, who is really just in his second full season as he played just one game his rookie year, is having his most complete season as a pro. He is currently averaging a career-high 13.6 points per game to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 50.1 percent from the field.
The triple-double was his second of the season, with the first coming on Nov. 15 against the Brooklyn Nets when he had 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. He is one of just six NBA players to have multiple triple-doubles this season.
Russell also had a nice game Wednesday, scoring 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting adding six assists and four rebounds of his own. The duo of young Lakers stars have begun to play how they are capable of in recent weeks, something that Laker fans should be encouraged about.