Prior to the 2017-18 NBA season, there was a starting power forward battle between Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, and Larry Nance Jr. for the Los Angeles Lakers. Ultimately, Nance Jr. started alongside Brook Lopez and Brandon Ingram in head coach Luke Walton's frontcourt.
After starting 133 out of 156 games for the Lakers in his first three seasons, it was a major adjustment for Randle to come off the bench. While Randle initially struggled with the role and decrease in minutes, he has since been dominating opposing team's backup centers. In the 107-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the fourth-year big man reached a new career milestone.
According to Lakers PR, Randle surpassed 2,000 career points after finishing with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Originally the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Randle is currently the longest-tenured player on the Lakers along with Jordan Clarkson. As he has been part of the rebuilding process since Year 1, he is set to become a restricted free agent like much of his draft class.
Randle is averaging 11.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks this season.
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