It has been a trying time for Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle. Not only does his future with the Lakers remain cloudy as ever, but the former lottery pick has largely been relegated to a bench role to start the 2017-18 NBA season.
Although Randle has remained adamant about keeping his focus on the court, it is safe to assume the recent events have begun to weigh on the young forward. One player who has dealt with switching teams early on in his career is Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, who recently offered Randle a piece of advice, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports:
“My advice is to focus on what is going to be the best for you,” Barnes said. “Focus on where you can grow as a player, get better, where you would thrive in. Whether or not he ends up in the same place or a different place, just make sure you’re in a situation where you can grow. That’s the most important thing because a lot of things are going to be out of his control, who decides to go where and that type of stuff, but as long as he focuses on getting better with his craft that’s the one thing he can control.”
Barnes has settled in nicely with the Mavericks after winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors. While their record has been porous, Barnes has put up career-high numbers with the Mavericks since immediately stepping into a primary role.
Despite being taken out of the starting lineup, Randle has enjoyed a solid year thus far averaging 11.4 points on a career-best 54.3 percent from the field. Although his future with the Lakers remains unclear, Randle's strong play will continue to benefit him moving forward.
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