With an uncertain future ahead in terms of where he may be playing next season, forward Julius Randle has taken his all-around game to another level. Randle saw his role change with the Lakers from a starter last season to a bench player earlier this season to arguably the team's most productive player during the 2017-18 campaign.
Head coach Luke Walton has witnessed the drastic change in Randle this season as the Kentucky product tries to prove his worth not only to the Lakers brass but also to teams that might express interest this summer. Walton is well aware that teams may be keeping tabs on the 23-year-old.
“I haven't talked to a lot of other coaches about him, but what he's doing right now he has to be on everyone's radar,” Walton said of Randle. “He's playing unbelievable basketball. He's a matchup nightmare for teams. He's versatile.
“I would imagine, this is just me guessing at it, but I would imagine most teams are pretty impressed with what he is doing.”
If Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka go through with their master plan to upgrade the roster with superstar talent in free agency this summer, Randle will almost certainly be headed elsewhere. The Lakers brass hopes to sign not one, but two big-name players in NBA free agency with LeBron James and Paul George expected to be targeted by the storied franchise.
With the breakout season that Randle is having, the former lottery pick will likely have no shortage of suitors. Randle may not be able to stretch the defense with his shooting, but he's proven to be more than capable to checking a lot of boxes with his dynamic style of play using his size and speed that has caused a lot of problems for opposing teams this season.
Heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Randle is averaging a career-high 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in a career-low 25.6 minutes per contest. Randle is also shooting a career-best 56.5 percent from the floor.
Follow Us
Subscribe