Los Angeles Lakers: 3 things we learned from latest win in Miami

Julius Randle is showing he deserves to be a starter

Not being part of the starting lineup at the beginning of the season really seemed to bother Julius Randle, and for good reason. He believed he could help the team most with him getting a good chunk of minutes alongside other key pieces of the young core, and now we’re starting to see what he can really do with Larry Nance Jr. now in Cleveland.

It was a smart move by the Los Angeles Lakers to start Randle instead of rookie sensation Kyle Kuzma, mainly because of the fact that they really need to evaluate his role moving forward and if it’s going to be worth it to re-sign him and pursue a new contract over the summer.

Like Isaiah Thomas, it seems that Randle just needed a fresh start. He doesn’t have a minutes limitation to bug him anymore like before, and he’s got a clear path to earning all sorts of money so long as he doesn’t get in his own way.

Teams like Utah and Dallas are going to come knocking for Randle in the off-season, so the Los Angeles Lakers have to be ready to make a quick decision about his future and where they stand. If he can continue proving that he can play well as part of the starting lineup and with the group of guys that Luke Walton puts out there to start a game, things are going to only look up from here.

He went 8-13 from the field and made all nine of his free throw attempts from the stripe. This went well with his 25 points, six rebounds, and two assists en route to a fourth straight win. The more they can see out of Randle the better, but with the way he’s been playing lately, there’s not going to be a valid reason for the Lakers to not bring him back.

Next: Should Julius Randle Change Positions Next Year?

But most importantly to pay up and give him what he’s really worth to them.