Julius Randle: Scouting Report

[ClipperRevival]

I've had a chance to watch Randle up close ever since he was drafted by the Lakers, so here's my take on the guy:

Positives: Rare blend of size, strength and athleticism. Has the agility, light feet, fluidity and quickness of a SF. Has a Karl Malone type build, naturally strong with the ability to push grown men around at the age of 20. People will be shocked at how strong this guy is. Just watch. He has rare quickness and is dangerous from the triple threat position. Very good handles for a 4 and has the ability to break down set defenders or take it coast to coast off a rebound. Can fill the lane in transition. Decent passer off the dribble. Good motor. Can play good man on man D in iso situations because of his light feet.

Negatives: Terrible looking shot. Looks like he's throwing the ball at the rim rather than shooting it. Definitely needs to work on his form. Can't finish with his weak hand, even when the situation calls for him to use it. Plays too reckless at times, always going 100 mph instead of reading the situation and letting the game come to him. Can get caught up in bully ball in the post at times, just trying to overpower guys without looking for other ways to get off a shot. This again comes back to him not thinking and trying to do too much at once. Turnover prone, which is common for most young players. Needs to further refine his post game. Not a rim protector and never will be, so he needs to worry about playing great positional D.

Overview: You don't see too many guys with Randle's combination of size, strength and athleticism. Some guys his size might be fast as hell but lack strength while others might be strong but lack athleticism. He has a rare blend of both. His main strength right now is probably from the triple threat position where he can lose defenders with his handles and quickness. For the upcoming season, he will impact the game utilizing his natural talents, like running in transition and filling the lanes, getting some put backs, jumping passing lanes, slashing to the basket and just utilizing his youth and motor. But going forward, he will have to fix his shot, learn to use his right, refine his post game and learn to play within himself if he wants to be an all-star level type player. For the upcoming season, I see him putting up 13-15 ppg 8 rpg.

[GoatBoy]

His negatives sound like things that can be fixed with time. Great pick

[ClipperRevival]

His negatives sound like things that can be fixed with time. Great pick

Yup. I always want the guy with the rare talent/athleticism versus the guy who has skills but lacks athleticism. You can always teach skills, you can't teach athleticism.

It's funny because Randle and Russell are like opposites. Randle possessing the athleticism but lacking the polish/skills while Russell is so smooth/skilled/polished yet lacks athleticism.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

He's got like 12 minutes total in the league. You can look like what you want in Summer League and preseason but it's the regular season and playoff games that matter...

[chips93]

in college he just bullied smaller guys with his size, and i thought that wouldnt translate.

but when you see him out there with other legit nba players, he still looks big, big enough to bully other power forwards.

He's got like 12 minutes total in the league. You can look like what you want in Summer League and preseason but it's the regular season and playoff games that matter...

thats more than enough time to evaluate the weight of a players feet.

once you know that, a players career trajectory becomes crystal clear.

[ClipperRevival]

He's got like 12 minutes total in the league. You can look like what you want in Summer League and preseason but it's the regular season and playoff games that matter...

He's played like 10 summer league and preseason games over the last 2 years. That's a huge sample size if you are trying to evaluate a player's raw tools.

[ClipperRevival]

in college he just bullied smaller guys with his size, and i thought that wouldnt translate.

but when you see him out there with other legit nba players, he still looks big, big enough to bully other power forwards.



thats more than enough time to evaluate the weight of a players feet.

once you know that, a players career trajectory becomes crystal clear.

Very first summer league game for Randle last year, he went up against Draymond Green. Randle pushed Green around like a rag doll in a couple of plays and he was only 19. He hasn't even filled out yet. Remember Bron at 19? Much thinner compared to now. Look at Randle NOW, he already has a man's body. He's just going to get stronger. Dude is just naturally ox strong.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

in college he just bullied smaller guys with his size, and i thought that wouldnt translate.

but when you see him out there with other legit nba players, he still looks big, big enough to bully other power forwards.



thats more than enough time to evaluate the weight of a players feet.

once you know that, a players career trajectory becomes crystal clear.

Yeah, I mean Stromile Swift was definitely better than Tim Duncan

[BlackWhiteGreen]

He's played like 10 summer league and preseason games over the last 2 years. That's a huge sample size if you are trying to evaluate a player's raw tools.

Raw tools don't equal 13-15 points and 8 rebounds.

There were 14 players who averaged 13/8 last year, and 12 who averaged 15/8. You don't just average 13/8 in the NBA.

[ZeN]

Yeah, I mean Stromile Swift was definitely better than Tim Duncan

[Heavincent]

He looked awful at first, but it seems like he's getting better. I think he can be a 12/7 type of guy.

[ClipperRevival]

Raw tools don't equal 13-15 points and 8 rebounds.

There were 14 players who averaged 13/8 last year, and 12 who averaged 15/8. You don't just average 13/8 in the NBA.

I guess we'll just have to see what happens huh?

[BlackWhiteGreen]

Sure, but whether youre right or wrong, it's still essentially guesswork, which is my point.

[ClipperRevival]

Raw tools don't equal 13-15 points and 8 rebounds.

There were 14 players who averaged 13/8 last year, and 12 who averaged 15/8. You don't just average 13/8 in the NBA.

And last time I checked, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan are nothing but raw athletes. Like it or not, a lot of the NBA is about God given talent and not skills.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

And last time I checked, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan are nothing but raw athletes. Like it or not, a lot of the NBA is about God given talent and not skills.

If you think Randle is in the same conversation physically and athletically as Jordan and Howard you're clinically insane.