Even though he missed the entire season after suffering a broken fibula in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener, Julius Randle is still considered one of the major parts of the team’s future.
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Randle is a natural power forward, but has the ball-handling skills of a wing player leading some to wonder if he could play the small forward position as well. According to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers could be willing to try Randle at the position in the future, but not right now:
The Lakers are developing Julius Randle as a PF – if/when he proves he's ready, they may try him at SF – but not currently on the menu
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) April 17, 2015
It is definitely better for the time being to have Randle focus on a singular position. Developing his power forward skills should be first and foremost for the team and his speed and athleticism are more of an advantage against bigs than they would be against wings.
While Randle has only recently been able to get back on the court, he has used this season to become a real student of the game. Mitch Kupchak would exchange e-mails with Randle about the team’s games during the season and have Randle study the tapes. Randle has also gotten into better shape, looking much slimmer in recent videos of him working out.
Down the line, it could serve Randle well to be able to play multiple positions, but for now the Lakers want him to focus on the power forward spot which is likely for the best.
[divide]Julius Randle Lakers Exit Interview 2015