Kobe Bryant, Byron Scott using tough love on Julius Randle
By Jacob Rude
Julius Randle is the most hyped Lakers rookie since possibly Kobe Bryant himself. Placed in a situation with arguably the best mentor currently in the NBA in Bryant himself.
However, after a rough start in the preseason and coming under fire from head coach Byron Scott, Randle’s start in LA was off to a very rocky start.
Following Wednesday’s performance against the Portland Trailblazers which saw the Kentucky product go off for 17 points on 7-10 shooting from the field, Scott talked about how he and Bryant are handling Randle.
Byron Scott says him and Kobe both talked to Julius Randle and told him that as long as they're staying on him, it means they care.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 23, 2014
Randle has a perfect set-up for him to take the reigns of the greatest franchise in the league. With Bryant willing to pass the torch and Randle eager to take it, the Lakers may have set themselves up for a transition into the future.
We saw the skillset that had scouts and GMs salivating on Wednesday, with Randle knocking down jumpers, getting to the rim, and pushing the ball in the open court. His smooth game paired with his big physical presence leads to a unique set of skills, which sees Randle able to glide to the rim and finish through contact.
With Bryant and Scott as mentors, it seems harder to screw up than succeed for Randle.
Do you think Randle is the future? Let us know down below!