Heads fell completely to the table on May 20, especially for those living in Los Angeles. It was the date of the NBA draft lottery, and the moment the Lakers were banking on their post-Kobe Bryant life to become one inch closer.
Had they drawn the No. 1, 2, or 3 picks in the draft, knowing how Mitch Kupchak operates when big name talents are on the table, they would have thrown a party. Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, or Joel Embiid would’ve been theirs to explore, and there would have been no talk of trading these guys after the selection.
The Lakers — and their fans, more desperately — needed a superstar name to carry the fiery torch once Bryant retires in two seasons. This franchise has been built around that central point. Grab you a star (or a group of stars), organize a roster around them, and ensure that you rarely miss out on a playoff berth.
In 2013-14, Los Angeles missed the postseason for just the first time since 2004-05, and the second time since 1993-94. Still, if you consider the fact that Bryant didn’t play the whole season, he’s only missed the playoffs one time in his lengthy career. When he’s gone and resting back at his home in Newport Beach, Bryant could be watching a similar story. He could be witnessing the Lakers being irrelevant in the NBA’s near future, and victims of the toughest conference in sports.
Who they did manage to snag in the lottery, however, is a raging bull that’s trying to be next in line for the purple and gold pride, adding to the championship culture.
Julius Randle, Kentucky’s top freshman in the class, fell to No. 7 in June’s draft. Realistically, he should’ve landed with the Orlando Magic at No. 4, but Rob Hennigan wasn’t thinking with the proper mind at the time. Offensively and defensively, there’s no sense of imagination that could place the raw Aaron Gordon over Randle’s finishing ability.
When he entered the kingdom in Hollywood, Randle received praise from Mitch Kupchak, who didn’t even think he would be around for them to consider.
“We had on our board much better than a No. 7 selection, so we were surprised when he was there,” Kupchak said on draft night.
Evaluating how each prospect available would rank as the top personalities and players for future success, Kupchak looked at the selection through a long-term lens. When you’re not accustomed to finishing fifth in the division and near the very bottom of the West, short term fills aren’t necessarily the goal. You want to draft — and sign — appropriately, to ensure playoff runs for the next five or more seasons.
From Kentucky, Randle was the physical aggressor they needed to draft. Sure, he’s not the most talented on the block and hasn’t given us reason to believe he has a right hand, but his skill is well above average. It’s a rare occurrence to find polished offensive skill (in the post) from these young kids. That’s exactly why Joel Embiid faced the constant comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon — there was nobody in between their generations that properly stacked up with Embiid, he was that impressive with his style.
Randle drew ideal comparisons to Memphis’ destructive truck, Zach Randolph. It was deserved, because of both of their body types, and inside “grit-n-grind” strength.
Just after one year in college and summer league production, there’s been substantial evidence — at least for me — that Randle could exceed his expectations as a pro. Yes, that includes rising greater than all of his comparisons, and being more successful than Randolph in the next 10-15 years.
For starters, Randle understands that he’s not in a favorable situation with his height. Perhaps in the NCAA it wasn’t as much of a hindrance, but he now faces an entire new world of trees, athletes, and bullies. Some guys fit all three descriptions in one body.
At Kentucky, he used a variety of tools to score against defenders much taller than him, and it’s primarily resting on his patience once he gets inside:
Just off his initial spin and drive with his shoulders, Randle is able to knock defenders away for a few inches of separation. In this scenario, when you have defenders that are trying to stay in the game without fouling out, they typically don’t jump or even try to block your shot. But, it’s still a terrific sign to see Randle love the pump fake inside the paint.
It got Michigan State’s second defender up in the air, and it’s going to work wonders for him in the professional game. More so than anything, it assists with his trips to the free throw line. Luckily, Randle isn’t the DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond, or even the Josh Smith walking into the league. On average, those three big men shoot 49 percent from the line for their careers — that’s not from the field, that’s on FREE THROWS.
Randle is entering the NBA as a 70.6 percent free throw shooter, and that came on 7.6 attempts per game. Of the group of big men including Randolph, Jordan, Smith, and Drummond, the highest average free throw attempts per game last season was Drummond (4.6). Randle’s doppelganger (Randolph) has shot 76.3 percent from the line throughout his long career, including a sub-par rookie season of 66.7 percent. Kentucky’s young kid is going to be just fine with the pressure.
He doesn’t rush anything unless he absolutely has to, and he’s only going to get bulkier in those shoulders. What’s that mean for his offense? Guys will try to draw offensive fouls when matched up against him, because they know how much he enjoys muscling his way to the rim:
It’s not always going to be working in the NBA, where defenders are stronger, and more sturdy. Don’t forget the fact that when he delivers a subtle shoulder or elbow into someone’s heart, it’s not just going to be one-sided. He’ll feel aggression toward him by veterans that couldn’t care less how young a person enters the league.
Where Randle will have them, however, is that he knows how to stop and give you the creative finish at the rim, instead of plowing through you. His footwork isn’t advanced enough to throw him above Embiid, but it’s a category he’s in the upper-echelon of:
Something special about Randle is his passion for attacking from the perimeter. Really, when do you see power forwards that can put the ball on the floor and pull off multiple in-and-out crossovers to pave his way to the rim?
There’s starting a possession from beyond the arc, drive in using his mass, and finish from 4-6 feet. Or, there’s starting a play by receiving an entry pass in the paint, with his back to the basket. Take a guess at which one a normal power forward would choose to operate under. Starting as close to the rim is favored by majority of the big men in the pros. But, Randle would take the opposite.
He embraces the challenge of taking big men off the dribble, and fighting through double teams. That’s not going to fly in the NBA, and certainly not with the Lakers. With Mike D’Antoni, it likely could’ve been tolerated. Byron Scott being on the staff, however, puts them more into a traditional offense that’s predicated on cuts to the rim, active post-play, and inside-out styles. And, he’s one of the strongest proponents in discipline. Randle will play how Scott wants him to play, and that’s going to be a shake-up for him to adjust to.
Where Randle will have to work repetitively to match the Zach Randolph comparison is in the jump-shooting department.
You can’t go through a long list of power forwards in the league that has no shooting touch. In today’s game, the words “stretch four” are becoming an everyday term, and it’s not rare on scouting reports.
Randle shot just 17.3 percent on his jumpshots, as tracked by the fantastic Synergy sports. Every once in a while, a squirrel tends to fall out of a tree, though:
His mechanics are strikingly similar to Randolph. They are both left-handed, and get their shots off high with their specific forms:
Randolph, however, has transformed into one of the top four dual threats as a power forward. You don’t feel comfortable giving him a 15-20 footer, the same way you don’t want LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, or Dirk Nowitzki alone on an island. It equals death, and that’s why Memphis has been able to develop the best frontcourt in the league.
For Randle to become the greatest player of the stacked 2014 Draft — over Jabari Parker, over Andrew Wiggins, over Embiid — he has to stretch the court for Kobe and Byron Scott.
That doesn’t even mean learning how to shoot from 24 feet out (3-point range). Just become the reliable pick-and-roll option, and make defenders step out past the free throw line. If he does that, and becomes just like his NBA twin, the Lakers have finally drafted a diamond.
Just put Randle’s face next to Randolph’s. Match their bodies against each other. Heck, even their last names begin the same four letters. What more would you need?
Randle has the attitude, above all else, to become just as successful as Randolph in his NBA career. It’s a good thing he became property of an illustrious franchise that should treat him correctly.
**Statistical support credited to Basketball-Reference, and ESPN.com**