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Lakers News: Draymond Green speaks highly of Julius Randle

By Kenneth Teape

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on November 27, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on November 27, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers News: Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green spoke highly of Julius Randle following their matchup Wednesday night.

Los Angeles Lakers news has been mostly positive for the team following Wednesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Moral victories are rare to come by for professional teams, but Wednesday night was as close to a moral victory as you can get.

A young Lakers squad gave the defending champion Warriors everything they could handle. We saw some Lakers players seemingly grow up in front of our eyes.

Brandon Ingram scored a career-high 32 points going up against Kevin Durant. Durant scored 29 in what was an underrated matchup. Ingram has been compared to Durant plenty, so it was encouraging to see him perform against Durant.

Lonzo Ball did well to hold his own against Stephen Curry. Ball has immense pressure on him from things his father, LaVar Ball, has said and the Lakers fan base. He shot the ball well in scoring 15 points and added 10 assists. An argument could be made that Ball was actually outplaying Curry prior to overtime where Curry took over to help lead the Warriors to a victory.

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Fellow rookie Kyle Kuzma missed the game with back spasms, which put more pressure on another young player, Julius Randle. Randle was up for the challenge as he played a great game off the bench.

Randle scored 20 points with four rebounds, two assists and one block in 31 minutes. He had some great sequences defensively as well, such as the last Warriors offensive possession in regulation when he contested Durant into a missed jump shot.

Randle does a little bit of everything for the Lakers. He can score around the basket and is a versatile defender. Randle is a tenacious rebounder and is a willing passer. His all-around skill is reminiscent of Warriors forward, Draymond Green.

Green showcased that versatility against the Lakers. He nearly triple-doubled, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds and nine assists. He added four steals as well and defended multiple Lakers throughout the night.

After the game, Green spoke very highly of Randle, someone he matched up with a lot throughout the evening.

Serena Winters of Lakers Nation and Spectrum SportsNet asked Green about Randle following the game and he was very complimentary of his opponent.

What Green said is right in plenty of aspects. Randle brings a ton of energy to the court and is handling the role change very well. After two rough games to begin the season, Randle has responded well to the move to the bench.

Next: 3 Lakers Takeaways vs Warriors

While Randle would more than likely prefer to start games, he has taken to his role as the backup center well. He is thriving and has improved in multiple aspects of his game. Randle is an important part of the Lakers right now and is playing himself into a monster contract next offseason.

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