Grading the 2015-16 NBA season for Lakers forward Julius Randle
Julius Randle had everything to prove coming into the 2015-16 season and, despite the occasional rough patch, he largely answered the call. After a broken leg ended his rookie year with the Los Angeles Lakers just 14 minutes into his first game, the No. 7 overall pick spent the offseason preparing his body to play his first meaningful NBA minutes.
During the season, Randle was a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Lakers, averaging 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in just over 28 minutes per game. He joined Karl-Anthony Towns as the only rookie or sophomore to average a double-double in the 2015-16 campaign .
But it wasn’t all positive for Julius, who struggled mightily with his shot throughout the season, making just 42.9 percent of his field goal attempts. Although his role will never be that of a sharpshooter, Randle still underperformed relative to what was expected, finishing the season with the 15th-worst true shooting percentage among all qualified forwards (NBA.com).
To be fair, the Kentucky product’s struggles likely stemmed from the near impossible on-court situation, including a stagnant offensive system, league-worst defense, and precarious personnel roles. All things considered, Randle’s season actually got off to a decent start as he averaged a respectable 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds over the first 20 games.
Once head coach Byron Scott chose to relegate Randle and rookie D’Angelo Russell to the bench in early December, however, the forward’s production almost instantly took a hit. Some of it could be attributed to his modest decline in minutes as a reserve, but he also saw a reduced role as a starter while still improving in areas such as shooting percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Encouragingly, Randle elevated his numbers once again as he returned to the starting lineup for the final 40 games of the season. He averaged 12.2 points and 11.1 rebounds over the season’s second half, good for ninth-best in the league during that stretch.
Overall, it was an impressive campaign for the pseudo-rookie, who had been longing for his moment in the sun ever since his his right leg mysteriously gave way just minutes into his professional career. While the 21-year-old bruiser was hardly perfect, he certainly warranted praise from the Laker faithful.
Let’s take a look at how his final season grade shaped up.
Next: The Final Grade
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.
Next: Mitch Kupchak Laughs at Idea of Trading No. 1 Pick
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.