Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 players of the 2010 decade

21 June 2010: The massive crowd during the Los Angeles Lakers victory parade through the streets of Los Angeles after defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games to win the NBA Championship. Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

7. Julius Randle

Julius Randle was the first piece in the youth movement set to renew the aging Lakers.

Drafted in 2014 with the seventh overall pick, he had played just 14 minutes in his career before an injury forced him to miss the entire season.

Julius bounced back splendidly and came back at full strength a year later averaging a double-double in his first full NBA season. He went on for the following two years always improving despite challenging situations tested his patience and mental strength.

In three seasons in Los Angeles, he averaged 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds at barely 23 years old.

Randle worked hard to earn his spot. He was committed, transforming his body and working on his shot. The right hand remained an issue, but his driving ability and his bulking body and rebounding made him often referred to as a Lamar Odom–Zach Randolph combination with high upside.

If it was on him he would have remained a Laker, and apparently even Head Coach Luke Walton wanted him to return when his rookie contract expired. Unfortunately, he had to be sacrificed to sign LeBron James, but his performances in New Orleans showed what a great player the Lakers had selected.

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