5 Determining Factors for Lakers’ Julius Randle’s Future
By Hannah Kulik
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Julius Randle (Kentucky) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seven overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
When he was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 draft, there was optimism that Julius Randle would be a great NBA player who would make an immediate mark on a Lakers team in desperate need of a new star. He showed up for the summer league a bit out of shape, and as a result it allowed fellow rookie Jordan Clarkson to steal the spotlight and garner most of the attention. When training camp opened, Randle started slowly but improved as the season approached. By opening game he was ready to play and it appeared he would get the opportunity. In a tragic turn of events, he broke his leg in the first game and his season was over.
-== 5 Reasons Why Lakers Must Succeed in Free Agency ==-
Randle played only one year of college basketball at the University of Kentucky. Aside from the promise he showed during that season, he has no body of work from which we can meaningfully evaluate his talent and potential. Still, based on last year’s summer league and training camp, a few themes emerged. There are five questions Randle must answer before we can accurately judge his likely future as an NBA player.
1. Can He Stay Healthy?
The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether Randle can stay healthy. He has a pin in his foot from an injury suffered in college. Then he broke his leg in his first regular season NBA game. No matter how skilled he may be, it does no good if he is always injured.
History shows that some very talented players just could not stay healthy and it derailed their careers. Greg Oden is an obvious example. A less obvious example closer to home is former Laker player Xavier Henry, who appeared to have a lot of potential but whose career has been marred by one injury after another. Randle has to prove he can stay on the court.
Next: Is Size An Issue?