Lakers 2015-16 Season Roster Grades: Julius Randle
. PF. Lakers. JULIUS RANDLE. B-
Ultimately, Julius Randle was a net positive for a Lakers’ team that could sorely use all the rebounding and hustle it could get.
Despite his lack of finesse and questionable decision making, Randle certainly turned some heads during his first full season in the NBA. The 21-year-old was a revelation for Los Angeles on the glass and showed glimpses of his playmaking ability that had intrigued many professional scouts from the start.
His inconsistencies offensively shouldn’t be excused, but they are also rather understandable considering his rawness and the less-than-optimal circumstances of the Lakers’ offense. He has elite quickness for his size and routinely utilizes his strength to bully opponents in the post, but he remains more suited for action off the ball than iso situations.
Unfortunately, off-ball movement was an unattainable luxury in Scott’s anemic offense, and the quality of Randle’s scoring opportunities suffered as a result. Player tracking data available for the 6-9 forward imply that he disproportionately relied on shots in isolation — attempts taken after multiple dribbles or after holding on to the ball for several seconds. Last season, 24 percent of his looks occurred after taking between 3-6 dribbles, 44.2 percent came after holding the ball between two and six seconds, and 11.2 percent came with four seconds our fewer remaining in the possession (NBA.com).
These stats suggest an abundance of one-on-one situations, and while Randle actually faired better in these matchups than one would have expected, they are not an ideal utilization of his physical strengths.
Luckily, new Lakers head coach Luke Walton has a vision for what Randle can be in a fasted-paced contemporary offense. Walton praised the forward’s explosiveness shortly after his hiring and has given some concrete ideas about how to better utilize the forward’s strengths.
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After a nightmarish start to his career, Randle made great strides in his first real NBA season, establishing himself as a top-level rebounder and refining his physical gifts to better suit his offensive style. He’ll be a fascinating piece for the Lakers moving forward.