It is time to recognize Julius Randle’s immense improvements

From being benched and failing to agree on a contract extension to averaging 20 points per night, Julius Randle is the NBA’s most improved player.

This season has been a turbulent one for Julius Randle. It began with his inexplicable benching, and has now shifted into a bonafide breakout year. At first, his benching seemed like the worst possible scenario for Randle’s development. Why would you not want him on the floor so he can continue to develop his game? Turns out, benching Randle was one of the best moves Luke Walton has done since becoming the head coach of the Lakers.

Seeing his starting spot be handed over to Larry Nance Jr., and then Kyle Kuzma after Nance went down with a hand injury, ignited a fire in Randle that we had yet to see him possess up to that point. This newfound motivation, along with the incredible changes Randle made to his body over the offseason has allowed him to make the leap from the prospect with potential who just hasn’t put it together yet, to a player who looks to be a rising star.

Even though he is averaging less minutes than the previous season, Randle is averaging 3 more points on a far better shooting percentage. As of now Randle’s season averages are 16 points on 56% field goal percentage, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. These numbers are not mind blowing, but they are heavily watered down by the first half of the season in which he was not getting many minutes. As of now he is averaging 26.4 minutes per game.

If you look at his per 36-minute averages this season, that is when you start to get impressed. Per 36 minutes Randle is averaging 21.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while still bolstering a 56% field goal percentage. For comparison, in the previous season Randle’s per 36 averages were 16.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, with only 48% shooting. It is undeniable that Randle has made substantial improvements as a scorer this season.

When you watch the best scorers in the league play, they seem to all have the intangible ability to finish at the rim effectively in creative ways. You will be watching the likes of Lebron James or Kyrie Irving play and see them finish a layup through contact and think to yourself, “wow, that was crazy. How the hell did he manage to do that,” on a consistent basis.

Julius Randle possesses that very same skill. On top of that, Randle has been able to straight up bully anyone who tries to defend him in the post this season, likely as a result of the amount of muscle he put on before the season. Being one of the strongest players in the NBA along with possessing a unique ability to finish at the rim in a myriad of different ways is one great combination.

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His improved scoring ability is not the only about Julius Randle’s game that has impressed this season. Over the offseason, Randle made a concerted effort to get in the best shape of his life, and it has made a remarkable impact on his game. Since getting his body fat percentage down to six percent, Randle’s ability to move on the court has greatly improved.

This improvement in his movement has had the most impact on his ability to switch on defense. Randle used to be a mediocre defender who when switched onto smaller, quicker players, would get eaten alive. That is no longer the case.

Randle’s new ability to switch onto all positions 1-5 and hold his own has gone a long way to improve the defense of the entire team. That versatility in a big is something you will find in most elite defenses (e.g., Draymond Green on the Warriors and Al Horford on the Celtics.)

Another improvement his game has seen as a result of his physical improvements is his skill as a ball handler. His ability to move with the ball has given the team the ability to play at a higher pace, since almost anyone who grabs the rebound can push the ball up court on the break. Having a big such as Randle who can get the rebound and push the break with ease is something you will find in most teams who play at a high pace (e.g., Draymond Green on the Warriors, see a theme here?)

These three major improvements to Randle’s game shouldn’t go unrecognized, as they are a direct result of his incredible work ethic coming into this season. This opens up the question, is Randle the league’s most improved player?

While he may not win the award, as Victor Oladipo has probably had that award in the bag since the second week of the season, Randle should undoubtedly be in the conversation. If it was not for an unprecedented leap into stardom from Oladipo, he would be absolutely deserving of the award. Even then, it is a disservice to Randle if we don’t at least recognize that he belongs in the discussion. In 2018, Julius Randle has proven to be a rising star in this league and should get the national recognition that goes along with that.

Next: The Lakers Plan B for 2018

It was already clear that the likes of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma will soon bring the Lakers back into the forefront of the NBA. Now if you add Julius Randle to this list of likely soon-to-be stars, the future of the Los Angeles Lakers with these four young cornerstone players, along with the ability to bring in the likes of Paul George this season, should garner the attention of the entire basketball world. The future is bright and it is time to take notice.