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

Strengthening the bench

The main selling point behind bringing Julius Randle off the bench is the positive impact it has on the Lakers’ second unit. The bench has been a strength for the Lakers in recent seasons, but relying heavily on Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma to carry the scoring load for 82 games is not a recipe for success, despite Kuzma’s showings in the preseason.

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I’ve previously discussed the bench’s lack of shot creators for teammates or themselves, and Randle would help them in this matter. He’s another ball-handler that can orchestrate an offense to complement Clarkson and Tyler Ennis, and gives the second unit a powerful rim-runner until Andrew Bogut recovers from a groin strain.

Randle opens up the offense by creating space for his teammates and bringing the ball up the floor. He can run pick-and-rolls, bringing opposing big men away from the rim and opening up driving lanes for teammates. Defensively, having Randle at the 5 allows the Lakers to switch all ball screens on the perimeter, making them an improved unit by basis of limiting mismatches created by switching.

The main positive of Randle coming off the bench is the frontcourt dynamic him and Kuzma offer with their diverse skill-sets. Both players should have quickness advantages on their counterparts when they’re at the 4 and 5, making them isolation candidates in the half-court.

Having two capable ball-handlers in the frontcourt maximizes the spacing offensively and gives the Lakers a strong trio of scorers off the bench between these two and Clarkson.