I’m still stuck in the mindset of “Julius Randle isn’t actually that good”. It’s partly because of his lumpy ugly face which I want to punch, partly because he used to not actually be that good, and partly because I never think any Lakers-drafted player is any good. When the Pelicans signed him, I immediately internally groaned and wondered why they wanted to implode their time like that.
The truth is, he’s gotten markedly better every year he’s been in the league. He’s far removed from the HoopMixTape version of himself, the version that pretty much got by on using a more mature frame to dominate skinny white kids from St. Frunklefetter’s Lutheran Shack Academy. He can still definitely use that frame when the situation calls for it, but his game is now well rounded, even featuring a three-ball. Apparently. The beginning of the season is always weird for people taking or not taking threes. Did I see Andre Drummond make one? I did, and I puked after it happened. Randle’s weren’t as chunder-inducing, at least, even if they didn’t quite look like they would make it to the rim.