Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons Julius Randle is a nice plan B

5. He’s a strong scorer

You saw his scoring averages on the last page. But that’s not the whole story.

Unlike many players these days, Randle almost exclusively attacks the rim. He has a unique combo of ball handling and one on one skills to get himself into his sweet spot in the paint, and once there, he has the ability to absorb contact while finishing.

He has also improved his knack for getting to the free throw line. He attempted 6.7 foul shots this seasons, a dramatic improvement from his 3.8 free throw attempts a game just two seasons ago.

In his first couple seasons, he seemed to shy away from finishing with authority. But in his last season with the purple and gold, Randle often would finish at the rim with a strong dunk.

In addition, with his improving ability to hit the three ball, he can (at times) space the floor and prevent defenders from sagging off of him, making it easier for him and his teammates to attack the rim.

The Lakers need a bona fide second scoring option. Between Randle’s continued development and the abilities of Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, acquiring the former Kentucky standout will help with that if they strike out on a top level free agent.