The Los Angeles Lakers have been rebuilding over the few season,s garnering their core pieces of the roster through the draft.

One of these young players is forward Julius Randle, who has made solid improvements through his first three seasons in the league. With that in mind, team president Magic Johnson stated on Thursday that he believes Randle is in line for a breakout year.

From Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation:

“I think Julius Randle is going to have a breakout season,” Magic said on Spectrum SportsNet. “The league better watch out. This guy has all the athletic ability. Now he’s working on his shot. He’s working on his right hand, and he’s already worked on his body.

“With Lonzo Ball running that point, I think he’s really going to have a breakout season and excite our fanbase on the end of that pass from a Lonzo Ball like big James [Worthy] used to do with that one hand.”

Randle has certainly taken big steps this offseason, trimming down significantly into much better physical shape. Meanwhile, the acquisition of Lonzo Ball should be a major benefit for his game, as Ball will provide more scoring opportunities in transition and off the pick and roll.

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Last season, Randle displayed improvement in that regard, being a factor on the fast break with his ability to handle the ball and move well down the floor. With Ball handling the rock in more often in these instances, it should allow Randle to get more easy buckets.

If Randle is indeed working on shooting with his right hand, it would provide another major component to his game by making him a more versatile scorer in addition to his strong rebounding.

Keep in mind, he is coming off a season where he averaged 13.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists, joining the likes of Johnson, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain to put up those numbers in a single season.

Ultimately, if Randle puts together a breakout a year, it would not only solidify his spot as a key core piece, but it also makes the Lakers that much more attractive for free agents in 2018.