Julius Randle Had One of Many 2014 Draft Injuries

Julius Randle was drafted seventh overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014 NBA Draft and became the earliest selection for the organization since “Big Game” James Worthy was selected No. 1 in 1982, nearly 30 years prior.

More from Lakers News

Identical to Worthy, Randle broke his leg in a jumping incident and suffered a season-ending injury in his rookie campaign.

Worthy, who broke his left leg on April 10, 1983, only missed what little was left of the 1982-83 season and the rest of the playoffs.

Randle, however, missed all but 14 minutes of his rookie season after breaking his right leg on Oct. 28, 2014 against the Houston Rockets. Randle, heralded as the savior of the franchise, would instead become a symbol of the team hitting rock bottom, at least until the meteoric rise of Jordan Clarkson.

Randle and the Lakers weren’t the only ones to suffer heart-break though. Two of the top three picks in the 2014 draft class also missed significant time.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker, selected No. 2, was highly touted as being the most NBA-ready player in the draft but on Dec. 16, 2014 Parker was diagnosed with an ACL tear in his right knee. He played only 25 games his rookie season.

March 24, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings defeated the 76ers 107-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid was an electric rookie for the Kansas Jayhawks and drew lofty, but unfair, comparisons to the legendary Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon. Embiid didn’t play a single minute his rookie year because of a broken navicular bone in his right foot.

His surgery occurred just six days before the draft, but the Philadelphia 76ers made Embiid the No. 3 pick anyway. It was later discovered his foot had not healed as quickly as anticipated. Embiid underwent a second surgery on Aug. 18, 2015 and will miss the entire 2015-2016 season as well, putting his NBA career in jeopardy.

Other notable injuries last year included top picks such as Noah Vonleh (No. 9) who endured a sports hernia before the season even started. Although the recovery time following the surgery was only six to eight weeks, Vonleh played just four of the first 32 games. The injury may have played a factor.

Doug McDermott (No. 11) missed 26 games after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Dante Exum (No. 5) made it through his rookie season completely unscathed, but, as luck would have it, Exum tore his left ACL in international competition this summer.

The amount of serious injuries suffered by young players seems to be increasing, and it’s a topic of increasing concern. Gary Vitti, the Lakers head athletic trainer, has even hinted that the recent increase in injuries helped push him toward retirement.

Per LA Times reporter Mike Bresnahan:

"So much has happened the last few years, so little of it positive. Vitti even called it “a nightmare.” Few would disagree, the Lakers continually losing Bryant and Steve Nash to injury, along with a slew of games.“When somebody gets hurt, I blame myself. That’s the Laker way — you’ve got a problem, you go in the bathroom, you look in the mirror, you start with that person,” Vitti said. “The one that really affected me and maybe even affected this decision [to retire] was Julius Randle. All of his doctors and his surgeon are saying that nothing was missed, but the guy goes out there and breaks his leg the first game [last season]. That one really bothered me.”"

What’s causing this increase?

Some of it is simply a raised awareness of problems, according to Vitti. Back in the day, players might have complained of pain in their hand and gotten a shot of cortisone to ease the pain.

With today’s technology, teams realize that cortisone shots are simply bandages and do not treat the root of the problem. Today’s athletes need surgery or time off as opposed to what used to be status quo when treating similiar injuries the last generations of players faced.

November 1, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers athletic trainer Gary Vitti during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 127-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Another problem is overtraining and overloading muscles. Today’s professional basketball players play almost all year-long. In 2008, Kobe Bryant competed in the NBA Finals well into June, the Beijing Summer Olympics in August, and was back at Lakers training camp for the 2009-10 season in October.

That kind of year-round competition puts tremendous strain on the same muscles over and over again. That repetitive motion leads to the wearing down of muscle fibers and the ligaments that hold your joints together.

This isn’t just an NBA problem either. Many prospective NBA hopefuls are involved with AAU Basketball and other young organizations when they’re not playing for their high school teams.

The human body needs time off to recover from the rigors of sports training. When these young players play basketball all year-long, their joints tire and eventually wear down.

It’s imperative that players take time off from basketball and use other methods to stay in shape and train. If not, these catastrophic injuries are likely to continue.

Next: Bryant on Team USA: 'I Need to Earn It'

More from Lake Show Life