Lakers News: Luke Walton Says Julius Randle Played Best Game This Season

Corey Hansford
3 Min Read


Many people lauded the efforts of players such as Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma who had bounce-back performances in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. One player who was not mentioned in those discussions was Julius Randle.

For the second consecutive game, Randle seemed to lack energy and his playing time suffered because of it. That all changed on Sunday night as Randle looked like his old self against the Pelicans.

Even though the Lakers came up short against New Orleans, Randle was a catalyst for the team’s huge comeback in the second half. After the game, head coach Luke Walton called the game Randle’s best of the season and noted his change in energy level via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:

Randle’s stat line wasn’t necessarily extraordinary as he finished with 11 points, two rebounds, and two blocks. His impact, however, was felt throughout the rest of the team as he flew up and down the court in a way fans hadn’t seen this season.

There have been some concerns about Randle’s attitude as Walton noted that he was frustrated at coming off the bench as opposed to starting. If he continues to play at this level his minutes won’t be an issue as Walton will have to keep him on the court.

Randle made the biggest difference on defense, which hasn’t been his strong suit in his career. He made things difficult on the Pelicans’ big man tandem of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, coming up with steals, deflections, and altering shots in addition to the blocks he had.

When Randle is locked in he can be a difference maker for the Lakers and he showed it on Sunday night. Now the next step will be for him to keep that level of play consistently, which will only make the Lakers’ bench unit that much more dangerous.

Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.
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