Would Julius Randle and the Los Angeles Lakers benefit from coming off the bench?

Julius Randle came off the bench for half of the preseason with no dip in his production. Should the Los Angeles Lakers make this move permanent when he returns from his back injury?

The Los Angeles Lakers have shuffled their rotations throughout the preseason to deal with injuries on the roster, a list that now includes Julius Randle, who has already been ruled out for the regular season opener with back spasms sustained in the preseason finale. These injuries gave head coach Luke Walton an opportunity to tinker with his lineups, including bringing Randle off the bench for three games.

Moving Randle to the bench in favor of Larry Nance Jr. may seem like a demotion, but after watching him run the second unit, the idea of tailoring the bench around Randle is growing on me. The move hasn’t affected his on-court demeanor and offers him a chance to take on a larger role, despite not starting the games.

In his two full games (exited the third) coming off the bench, Randle’s per game stats were 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 4.0 steals in 24.5 minutes of playing time, compared to 11.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 0.3 steals in 22.7 minutes the three occasions he started for the Lakers.

Competition could play a factor in these skewed numbers (he started vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, but came off bench against the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz), but Randle’s move strengthens the Lakers’ second unit without hurting the starting lineup.