Throughout this season one of the more polarizing players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster has been Julius Randle. Entering a contract season, Randle started the season in a reserve role before being inserted into the starting lineup recently.
Whether a starter or coming off the bench, Randle has continued to show flashes of the player he can become. However, those have been mixed in with frustrating moments in which he makes the same mistakes he has been throughout his entire career.
The inconsistency has apparently frustrated some of his Lakers teammates as he was reportedly one of the topics discussed during the team meeting held last month, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:
According to one league source, one topic discussed is that some Lakers have been frustrated by the play of Julius Randle, who has been the subject of trade reports for nearly a year now.
Those trade rumors continue to swirl around Randle, among others, as he is reportedly one of the players the Lakers have supposedly let it be known is available for the right deal.
The bigger question is how much validity does this rumor hold. There is no doubt that Randle has been up and down this season. There are times where his speed and power combination make him almost unguardable. Then there are other instances where he looks as if he has mentally checked out.
Since becoming a starter Randle has looked much better overall, averaging 16.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in the last six games. Keeping up this level of play would go a long way towards ending any frustrations if they do actually exist.
When teams are struggling the way the Lakers have been recently, there are almost always reports and rumors like this that begin floating around. The key for this team is to use them to grow closer as a unit as opposed to splintering further.
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