Truth is, staying hella young or trying to trade for an all star... Smart thing to do would probably wait until the trade deadline UNLESS someone is giving respect to the value of a young guys ceiling.
I see Dwight Howardesque offensive limitations, but also a similar ego that thinks he's more. However, he does have moments of being a little more humble. Maybe he'll happily play a role within his limitations and not think he should be "The Man" ala Howard. That being said, Howard is a heck of a player. Just not a go to offensive player. Or a champion.
Atleast Howard was absolute elite at one point in Orlando... Randle hasn't got close to elite status.
No doubt, and they do have different skill sets, but I hope Randall works on his game so that he doesn't plateau like Howard did.
I was going to respond to your last post, but if you think Randle is like Dwight Howard, then I don't have a whole lot to say about it. Clearly you're going to be harsh on him if your opinion is that low. To each their own. Hopefully he proves you wrong. As for the picture, I think it's very easy to be excited about something like that. He has always carried a little extra weight even back to his Kentucky days. He's used the weight in the way he plays. I actually wonder how weight loss will affect his bully ball style. He better have a more reliable jumper if he's going to be lighter.
Dwight is an All Star with a limited offensive arsenal. Someone said they see him maxing out at 16/10 That would not surprise me. I like him, but unless he overcomes his limitations, being in an All Star's company and potential HOF'er isn't exactly a massive insult lol.
I don't think Randle's talent level is close to Howard's, but I don't think Howard's attitude is close to Randle's.
You said he had a similar ego to Dwight Howard. I don't think there's anyone in the league with an ego like Dwight Howard's. He's run himself out of three different cities and is well on his way to running himself out of a fourth. He's a bad teammate and by all accounts an unintelligent person on and off the court. I do not think there's any evidence that Julius Randle is similar to Dwight Howard in that regard. If you want to say Julius has unrealized potential like Dwight did, I can agree with that, but given that Julius has really only played 2 seasons in the NBA I think it's fair to say he's going to have unrealized potential right now unlike Dwight Howard. I also think Dwight is a better overall player than Julius, but they have such different skill sets. It's like saying Marc Gasol is better than Damian Lillard. It's possibly true, but difficult to quantify and compare. I think Julius is a slow learner, but he's never given me the impression of laziness. He has given me the impression of immature sulking that's common with kids his age (including most on our team).
Randle might not be the most ideal player, but I will say this: he knows what it takes to be a winner and a Laker. He may not have a go-to jumper or the highest basketball IQ, but he will always put in the work. With Magic guiding him, we may very well see a different player next season.
We are all giving Magic credit for being able to turn around things he has little control over. He can rah rah speech, but he is not the coach, can't implant much in their brains, or do the work, improve their character, basketball IQ, etc. Hopefully he's all that
That may eventually end up being his achilles heel, but at this point, his wingspan isn't what is stopping him from taking the next step. He could have a 8' wingspan; that still wouldn't be long enough to make up for his bad positioning and lack of focus as a result of the other team going on an 8-0 run.
Yeah Julius has a 7 foot wingspan. That's more than enough. He has a standing reach actually a bit longer than Draymond Green's. Julius's issues are not physical, they're mental.
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