Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons Why Julius Randle Should Be A Starter
Randle Deserves Recognition For His Stellar Defensive Improvement
Finding enough minutes for everyone is a practically impossible task as a coach. Impossible. The juggling act is truly one of those classic “is what it is” dilemmas.
Provided what Julius Randle has done on the defensive end for the Lakers, though, he is worthy of the bulk of those minutes.
In some aspects, such a sequence of words sounds like a glaring typo. This is logical to think because the small-ball center has been deemed a defensive liability in the past.
No longer is such a statement true. It is merely a thing of the past as the saying is derived.
What has been scintillating about Julius’ defense through 23 games extends outside of his innate ability to utilize his strength. His drastic improvement correlates with the seemingly limitless amount of work he put in over the summer. This work led to a leaner, much quicker version of Randle that was not seen when he was younger.
Lakers.com reporter Joey Ramirez recognizes the impact Randle has had for the Lakers on “D.” In a piece he compiled earlier this month, Ramirez speaks to the kind of havoc Randle has caused in that neck of the woods.
"Opponents have tried to pick on the Lakers’ small-ball center, and most have come away fruitless thanks to Randle’s blend of speed, footwork and conditioning."
Such a description sharply contrasts how Julius was in the past. Out of the three above terms, the conditioning was definitely suspect in his younger days.
Be that as it may, Randle’s motor is greater than it has ever been. By far. Taking that into consideration, keeping him on the pine may appear to be the plausible move in the minds of some. Such a stance is respectable because it adds credibility to the idea that he can give complete effort out there in relatively limited time.
More from Lake Show Life
- 3 most underrated players currently on the Los Angeles Lakers roster
- 2 Lakers who would benefit the most from a Kyrie Irving trade
- Victor Oladipo’s Russell Westbrook comments are terrible sign for Lakers
- 4 Free agent fits for the Lakers while they wait on Kyrie Irving
- 3 Most likely positions the Lakers will use for the last roster spot
On the flip side of the coin, though, why not have him out there longer? He could very well limit the opposition’s total possessions even more if he played even just a few more minutes a night. This is crucial because the Lakers themselves have coughed up so many possessions themselves this season. The turnovers are a never-ending issue, so inserting Randle into the starting five could be worth the risk.
As for those who still think the high-flying Nance Jr. should the starter, it is not necessarily impractical. Nance Jr. possesses a competitive spirit as great as perhaps anyone on the team. His rebounding prowess in particular is arguably better than Randle’s.
Where Nance Jr. is outdone by his counterpart, though, is when it comes to the way Randle handles “D.” Randle is able to step out and cover guards when called upon. The aforesaid quickness speaks to why he has been adept at doing so. For the reason that Randle is taller than most guards, too, distracting their normal shot patterns is inevitable.
Therefore, it would be more than proper for Walton to shake things up in the near future. Julius has been an elite, dynamic defender in 2017-2018. That is certainly not a glitzy overstatement.