Lakers: Best and Worst Case Scenarios for Julius Randle Next Season

Julius Randle had an up-and-down ‘rookie’ year with the Lakers, but what are the best and worst case scenarios for the 2016-17 season?

In his unofficial rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Julius Randle displayed flashes of impressive potential, mixed with troubling flaws in his game.

While Randle has been somewhat overshadowed by the other young players on the team, there was a time when he was seen as the centerpiece of their rebuild. Although he doesn’t need to recapture that title in order to be successful, a solid season could help to remind people of the impressive upside he possesses.

If Julius Randle ultimately lives up to the potential the Lakers saw in him prior to his catastrophic injury, the Lakers will have one of the most dangerous young rosters in the league. The tools to become an All-Star are there and the Lakers will hope to see them put to good use this season.

This season will be an important one for both Randle himself and the Lakers as a whole. Although he is still a very young player, the “second” year is an important one in gauging a player’s future potential and development. The extent to which their young forward is able to improve and adjust his game during this off-season could have a major impact on the long term outlook of the Lakers franchise.

As such, let’s look at the best and worst case scenarios for Randle’s 2016-17 season and also the likely scenario of how things will play out.

Next: Best Case Scenario