Los Angeles Lakers: Will Julius Randle reach new heights in 2017-2018?

Although Julius Randle is a solid player for the Los Angeles Lakers, his first two seasons in the league have not been All-Star caliber ones. Will his hard work this offseason, though, bring his game to the next level in 2017-2018?

Los Angeles Lakers power forward Julius Randle has not treated this offseason lightly.

Reports from earlier this summer suggest that the ballplayer never really took a whole lot of time off. Albeit the Lakers did not make the playoffs for the fourth straight year, Randle used this as motivation for the upcoming fall.

In his exit interview, the power forward remarked that he would push himself “nonstop” in an effort to fine tune his game.

Suffice to say, the man has been working his rear end off since that statement was made. To ordinary folks, what he has been doing may seem a bit out of bounds.

FTW writer Alysha Tsuji shared the details regarding Randle’s summer workload. All indications have made it clear that the former Kentucky Wildcat is ripped from a physical standpoint.

Not too far into the Lakers offseason, Randle was already looking a whole lot different. In Tsuji’s piece, Julius’ trainer, Amoila Cesar, posted this on his Instagram feed when describing his client’s superb progress.

"We just hit a little over 3 weeks and @juliusrandle30 has already shown improvements in body composition and performance!! I’m having a proud moment right now but this is only the beginning. It all starts with a healthy mind, body and soul!"

Granted this is not necessarily new news, Laker fans have to be feeling pretty good about Randle right about now. For many souls it is easy to talk the talk. Be that as it may, the Lakers’ southpaw has walked the walk.

No one can truly know how his hard work will translate into 2017-2018. What is key to note, though, is that he remains an integral part of the purple-and-gold. And this integral asset still has some improvement to do on the court.

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It is reasonable to claim that this upcoming year could determine whether Randle remains a guy with great potential or becomes a player who actually reaches that potential.

Randle did increase his points per game and assist averages from the 2015-2016 season this past year. Additionally, the 6’9″ talent also raised his field goal percentage up a few ticks. While his rebounding totals happened to go down a little, his presence on the glass arguably remains his best skill.

Although that is irrefutable, Randle averaged 2.3 turnovers a game in 2016-2017. The forward also looked fairly dazed on the defensive end of the floor at times. Dazed may even be an understatement truth be told.

Because of these deficiencies, this is precisely why Randle has gotten more serious about taking care of his body. Serena Winters of Lakers Nation hints that inadequate conditioning may have accounted for lapses on the defensive end last year.

However, Randle’s trainer exhibited last month that his client continues to excel in the gym. Randle’s strides should definitely help him on defense in his eyes.

"Every week I see this guy, he has much more hip mobility, his hamstrings are so much better. There are so many things improving that’s going to help him slide better, move across the court, be able to switch, be able to turn, fire off from all different angles, that’s going to increase his defensive presence, being able to respond, react."

Such analysis is a breath of fresh air because the additional mobility will likely help in Randle making better choices with the ball, too. Although Randle’s assist totals did go up last year, indeed, he has been known to get carried away from time to time when dribbling.

The body transformation does not guarantee per se what Julius’ results will look like in 2017-2018. But these better habits that Julius Randle is instilling within himself will undoubtedly raise those odds.

Lakers’ President Magic Johnson thinks so as well. As a matter of fact, in a piece by Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation, Magic comments that 2017-2018 could be quite a special campaign for the 22-year-old.

"I think Julius Randle is going to have a breakout season. 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."

Certainly, one of Julius’ main weaknesses has always been the poor usage of his off hand. If the power forward diversifies his offensive game and mixes it up more, the NBA will have more to be scared of for sure.

An overnight reversal of fortune will not transpire—that is not fair to anticipate. In spite of that, experimenting with a wider range of moves down low will make Julius a much, much better player. Speaking of experimenting, Randle has been doing just that when he is not pumping iron.

Head coach Luke Walton recently outlined another facet of Randle’s offseason: studying other players through film. According to Drew Garrison of SB Nation, one player the Laker has been scrutinizing more than anyone else is Draymond Green.

This is interesting to note on the grounds that Walton used to coach Draymond. Thus, Walton knows Green’s style of play better than most.

It is commonly known that Green is one of the few jacks of all trades in the league presently. Accordingly, the fact that Randle is trying to pick up tools from one of the best makes it difficult to not crack a smile.

This is yet another positive sign for the Lakers. No one expects that Randle will become a borderline All-NBA talent overnight. But to get there, the ones that already are there are important to study.

In Garrison’s composition, Walton had some kind words to say about the Lakers’ projected starting power forward.

"I envision with the way we play, with the way we’re going to be playing next year and guys flying down the wings and Lonzo looking up to throw ahead, and any time you can beat your man, I envision him just outrunning people all day."

Such expectations may appear to be on the lofty side of the spectrum. However, in Los Angeles, the expectations are never going to flutter away.

Nevertheless, it speaks to the work ethic Randle has continued to build. The muscular individual has always been pretty strong, but he has clearly taken things to another stratosphere since the season subsided.

Let alone his physique, if he remains diligent in working on his game, that will equate to a combo no one will want to face.

Next: 4 Reasons why Lakers can make the playoffs

The last set of weeks proves that Randle is committed to becoming the best possible version of himself. Whether that translates to the court is another tale, but the work he is putting in should mean something come October.

At the time being, fans can only play the waiting game since said month is a little while away. It will be exciting to see this rendition of Randle because, in all likelihood, the overall product should be far more polished.

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