Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle Opens Up Strong

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers suffering an opening night loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, there are plenty of things to hang their hat on. The 112-111 defeat displayed a much different team from the past two years. This one, still led by Kobe Bryant, was highlighted with two players making their starting debuts in the NBA. The crop of youngsters include D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.

The 2015-16 season is a bit of redemption campaign for Randle after a broken leg in last year’s opening night. His first season lasted all of 14 total minutes of playing time. Given that small sample, fans and pundits have been awaiting a full display of the potential that made him the Lakers’ seventh selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Despite NBA Summer League action and the preseason, fans were interested to see how Randle would fare in heavy minutes. Could he finally allow the game to slow down for himself? Would he be able to fit into the speed of the game consistently? Randle surely lived up to the bill and showed he’s back and hopeful for full health. He also provided answers to the questions that lingered in his critics’ minds.

Randle finished the game with a smooth 15 points and 11 rebounds, the first of many possible double-doubles. From the confidence he showed, you wouldn’t have expected him to basically be a rookie. Even in the ESPN spotlight, Randle showed he had no nerves to bear. He even spoke about his approach to Wednesday night’s matchup:

His first bucket was a pure display of his explosiveness and power, finishing over the Timberwolves’ frontcourt:

Throughout the game, Randle showed patience and the ability to rebound and push the basketball. Head coach Byron Scott has encouraged Randle to initiate the offense anytime he secures a board. This was a decision supported with emphasis throughout the summer. Scott spoke to the Lakers’ reporter Mike Trudell about his desire for Randle alongside his fellow starters:

The skills displayed in the open court are sometimes reminiscent of Lamar Odom, a Laker fan favorite.

Just as his aggression has been a staple so far in his career, Randle showed his fearlessness against grizzled veteran Kevin Garnett. He constantly attacked him when the opportunity was there and looked to finish at the rim. The two also had a brief exchange where referees had to hand out a technical.

Despite so many good things throughout the night, Randle still reminded fans that he’s ultimately a rookie. From recognizing spacing to quicker decisions, Randle can take a number of things from the game and improve. The good thing is that his opportunities can eventually be capitalized on with more experience and preparation.

It’s a long season ahead for the Lakers. The most important thing coming out of the first game is a healthy Julius Randle. Last season the team wasn’t so lucky after the opener. There were questions and concerns about another injury robbing an important player of significant time.

Randle pretty much doubled the time he spent on the court at 30 minutes, and he ended the night looking like one of the more talented prospects throughout the league. If he can keep this up, discussions around Randle will involve much more than injury recovery, but that of championship gold.

Next: NBA: Top 10 MVP Candidates In 2015-16

[recetposts]