NBA Awards Watch: Rookie Of The Year
Oct 22, 2014; Ontario, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) in the second half of the game at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Lakers won 94-86. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
**Special Mention**
R.I.P. to the 2014-15 NBA Season. The Pitbull Still Barking….
Julius Randle – Los Angeles Lakers/PF
One of the saddest stories so far this NBA season has been the broken leg of Julius Randle. Now that he’s going to miss his rookie season, we all will lose one of the most decorated rookies in Lakers history.
In Los Angeles, we already got introduced to the “The Doberman” Kobe Bryant, and now next year we will have Julius “Pitbull” Randle.
Pit bulls are strong, energetic, agile and powerful dogs. All of these attributes describe Randle’s game.
It only makes sense because of his tenacity on the basketball court and how fearsome Randle plays.
He’s by far my favorite rookie next to the Miami Heat’s duo of James Ennis and Shabazz Napier, and the Milwaukee Bucks Jabari Parker. When he says stuff like this….it makes me love his game even more.
Julius Randle on his numerous coast-to-coast tries tonight: "I don't want to be the next Shaq. I want to be the next Kobe."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) October 23, 2014
Learning from the Mamba and Carlos Boozer, this rookie is going to have a ton of knowledge before the end of his rookie season. Though I had him as a dark horse candidate to win the Rookie of the Year award, now that his season is over he can focus on getting a better jumpshot.
People should salivate over the potential that Pitbull Randle has because at 6’9″, 250 pounds he’s strong enough to live inside of the paint and dominate in the post. However, because Randle is supremely athletic for his size, he has the speed and ball handling ability to take the basketball coast to coast and finish with contact.
There have only been three people in the NBA that I’ve ever used the word bully to describe a person’s low post game: Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Zach Randolph. Pitbull Randle is now the fourth.
Get well soon.
Next: 10. SHABAZZ NAPIER