Luke Walton On Julius Randle: ‘We Want Him To Be A Leader’ On Lakers

Corey Hansford
3 Min Read


Julius Randle’s return from a hip pointer injury certainly made head coach Luke Walton happy. Randle was excellent as well, collecting a double-double in each of the first two games including a 13 point, 20 rebound night in Chicago.

In the last two games however, Randle has struggled, averaging just seven points and seven rebounds while also dealing with foul issues.

— Get 15% off everything in the Lakers Nation Store right now by using the promo code ‘Lakers’ —

An interesting moment took place in Saturday’s game against the Grizzlies as Walton subbed Randle out early in the third quarter. Randle didn’t seem too happy at being taken out, but he and Walton had a conversation on the sideline before Randle went to the bench.

After the game, Walton called it a teaching moment, and further expounded on what he expects from Randle on Spectrum SportsNet via Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters:

Before the season, Randle was one of the people who Walton pointed to as potentially being a leader on this team and he has not moved off of that point. Randle’s excellent start to the season has raised expectations and he will need to meet them.

Walton has struck a balance of being able to motivate and push his players without being overly critical of them. Because of that, all of the Lakers have bought into Walton’s system and don’t want to let him down.

With all of the injuries hurting the Lakers, Randle is primed to take a step up and lead this team and Walton wants that for him. His combination of speed, strength, and playmaking has been a difficult matchup for teams all season and Walton wants Randle to use those things to the best of his ability.

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.
Exit mobile version