Breaking Down Julius Randle’s 10-point, 8 rebound game

Julius Randle had a very solid first game.  He played with poise on the floor, despite being just 19 years old.  More importantly, he was comfortable within the context of the offense.  He was opportunistic about his scoring abilities and made the best of them.

We’re going to breakdown Julius Randle’s scoring and shot selection.

Before we do that, I’d like to thank GD’s Latest Highlights YouTube page for the excellent coverage.

Let’s start with Julius Randle’s first made basket at the 20-second mark.  Wayne Ellington sets up a pick-and-roll.  He slides laterally to create space from his defender.  Randle provides a brush screen.  Ellington wisely passes to where Randle should be.  Randle gets the ball, and attacks with a two-hand dunk.  Wingspan was not an issue. I’d count that as his first poster against Jusif Nurkic.

At the 43-second mark, Julius Randle gets the ball with his back to the basket.  He is ten feet away from the hoop.  Darrell Arthur is defending him.  Randle backs him down after a couple dribbles, uses the inside pivot foot to get squared to the basket, and then uses a drop step to get a shot off.  This shot is very similar to the one he took against Adrieane Payne last season.  The up fake gets the defender off-balance.  The soft touch takes care of the rest.  It was his only post score of the game.

At the 1:00 mark of the Lakers highlight video, he gets the ball at the attacking wing.  He had missed a mid-range jumper, and his mechanics are a bit unorthodox.  He faces up, finds an open lane, and uses some creativity to finish with a reverse layup.

At the 1:24 mark, it’s a similar play on the reverse side.  Once again, Julius Randle faces up.  Instead of opting for the mid-range jumpshot, he power dribbles to the paint and releases a soft jump hook with contact.

His last basket is at the 1:50 mark, where he finishes with authority from a stand still.

Julius Randle’s strength is all about points in the paint.  He got those points, mostly in face-up situations, but showed some ability in the post.  During the game, he missed a mid-range jumpshot and an open 3-point attempt.  Neither shot was a forced shot, but rather, within the flow of the offense.

It’s easy to see the potential.  Once he gets added strength, he can keep the same quickness and get by opposing defenders off-the-dribble.  He can use his base and knock defenders off-balance in the paint.  Most importantly, once his mid-range jumpshot becomes an option, and not an after thought, he’ll have a two-dimensional game at the power forward slot with his shooting and his slashing.

He is doing this based on raw skill.  Really, the idea is to attack the basket.  He did so in multiple ways.  Once the skills catch up to his physical abilities, the sky is the limit.

Laker fans got a glimpse of what he showed during the Vegas Pro League.  This time, it was against NBA talent.  The future is bright, and we can’t wait to see Randle develop as a Laker player.