Julius Randle Has Short Arms?
By Mike Garcia
Dec 28, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Russ Smith (2) shoots the ball against Kentucky Wildcats center Dakari Johnson (44) and forward Julius Randle (30) in the first half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Louisville 73-66. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Randle’s lateral quickness is underrated. It shows when he defends face-up power forwards and is able to match them step-by-step. On pick and roll situations, he switches and rotates well. On team defense situations, he’s able to rotate to shooters and contest shots well, despite the perceived short wingspan. He does it with footspeed. Like Kevin Love though, he won’t be expected to be an elite shotblocker. He compensates with excellent paint defense and does an excellent job shutting down lanes.
Defense won’t be a problem at the next level.