He needs to play at the 5 this season; probably a lot more than we think, IMO. He doesn't have a reliable 3-point shot, but he's not bad from mid-range. He can use his size and his quickness to wreck shop defensively, and he's a good rebounder. I think he'll be fine with Lopez who will provide the spacing; Nance and Randle are a bad combination because they just can't shoot reliably enough for the defense to respect it and the opposition collapses the paint. That said, I'd play a lot of my minutes with him at the 5 and challenge him to be the stud defensively that we know he can be at that end...
The reality of things is hard for people to accept. In all walks of life, not just in sports. Talk is one of the biggest waste of space on this planet. Because way more often than not, talk is cheap and is never executed. I have seen it all of my life. I have been around almost 40 years and I have seen it really cheap in sports. All this talk about BI making the next step, Randle turning into Phil Heath during the off season, all this verbal garbage that doesnt mean anything in reality, came last night and all we saw was the same lousy Lakers team that can't play D to save their life, can't run a fast break or run a half court offense. Players hurting themselves trying to make lay ups and bricking wide open shots for an entire 48 min game. It's just the first preseason game? Yah, heard that crap too. This performance has been the norm for a very long time. It isn't new. Just different parts. The warning was there, it was there. I have heard and seen it. When you pump crap up for so many seasons with little execution, how can you not be jaded to it. But in this case its not jaded, the Lakers have way too long to go to start getting excited. My hope is Lonzo recovers after his first game like he did after his first summer league game and starts to run the team a little smoother. Because if he doesn't, this team will not break 30 wins this year if ONE major injury happens to guys like Lopez or Bogut or whichever vet whom actually contributes.
I liked some of what I saw from Julius last night and didn't like other things. The mid-range looked good, the right hand looked good as well. The man on man defense was pretty darned strong. Plus he looked extremely fit and in shape. The long range I just don't know . . . he's going to have show at some point that he can hit those. Doesn't have to be right now. Will be better to pair him up with Lopez as he can do more of what he's naturally good at playing with him. Nance seems to be stuck at what he's been: a great hustle bench guy who can set picks and score on lobs but isn't a great option for half court sets offensively. I don't like us going small with him and Randle together. Too much of the same. Now Randle at 5 out there with Kuzma at 4 might be kind of cool.
I think criticism of Ingram will definitely grow if he plays inconsistent like that all season. Some of the team threw shade at DLO in their quotes, but he's no longer around to be used as a scapegoat. These guys are going to have to produce.
I hope talk of Randle at the 5 goes away with solid play from Lopez, Bogut, and Zu. People say he's a small 4, so he's a dwarf as a 5. I just don't see a long term role here right now, and with a big payday coming up, he'll be on the move if you aren't right and we can't find him a role or see him as part of the future. Sometimes being likable, working hard, and being in great shape just isn't enough. You have to make the team better. Note: I didn't see the game, just responding to comments of him at the 5. Yikes!
Lopez, Zu, and and Bogut will get killed when teams go small. The opposition will exploit that. Randle has the skill-set to play the 5. We seen flashes last year; see road game against Charlotte or road game against Atlanta. Can he do it consistently is another question entirely. If he can't, then he will be moved.
Thomas Bryant may ultimately be able to be a strong, long and big small ball option. Luke says he has been "flying around the court". He is quick for his size and has a great shooting stroke and can somewhat hit the 3 ball now. Just pretty young and raw. Like most of our guys.
Yes. Randle has vastly more competition at the PF spot than Ingram does at SF. There's one threat to Ingram's minutes and that's coincidentally Kuzma. Ingram showed some good things on the floor, mainly from an approach mentally, but also finishing around the rim and remaining aggressive. You can get indignant if you want, but I've been Randle's biggest supporter on this site. That doesn't mean I can look at what he did last game and think he's changed significantly. The only thing that looked different was his energy level. His understanding of the game didn't improve much. Ingram was beaten up by Wiggins? Okay. Assuming that's true, Wiggins was the #1 pick and just signed a 150 million dollar deal. Why did Randle (and Nance) get outplayed by Taj Gibson?
You complain about all this offseason fluff, yet it's clearly important enough for you to comment and say "show me" for the 100th time. most of us understand and agree that moving Randle before the trade deadline is the best move. no need to beat a dead bozo. You complain about talk, but this is a message board. It's the offseason and some of us just want something to be hyped about. People being hopeful that a player takes the next step is not as naive as you make it out to be. The large majority are quite realistic about player expectations and that a guy like Julius may never put it all together on the court, but to deny any chance of upside for him or any of our other young guys is just flat out wrong. You can make definitive statements all you want, but there is always an element of chance and that is what makes being a fan so fun. So instead of referring to stories about the work these guys have put in as "verbal garbage," accept that this is the internet and a big part of this message board and 1/3 of the year is purely "verbal garbage."
Ingram was a blackhole on offense and got beat on defense. I was also disappointed with his conditioning. Fatigue was a huge issue with Ingram. I expect more from our self-imposed leader. Randle was matched up against KAT most of the game. His midrange was money, he showed some nice finishes with his right hand, and his defense on KAT was impressive. Are you going to argue Wiggins > KAT as well? And no, you are not Randle's biggest supporter. I'm not sure why you keep saying that. That would either be me or LT, among a few others.
As Weezy pointed out in Game time, Randle screws up the flow so bad. Passes that go out of bounds, dribble off leg, unneeded foul, etc etc. And he shoots so often. Frustrating to watch. I can't imagine how bad it is to play with him.
I disagree somewhat, you guys. He was definitely part of the problem in leading to that huge deficit. But I totally loved when he tried to step up to Denver as they continuously punked us. If it was for personal reasons, or to jump start our team...no one really knows. But after it happened, it seemed like the team used it to go full throttle and make it somewhat interesting down the stretch. That's all part of team development, IMHO. We gotta constantly remind ourselves, especially in the short term, that this team had a massive overhaul this summer and alot of new faces came together. Not only that, but the style that we play with is different as well. When you add a PG like Zo, alot of what they saw last year won't prepare them for playing with a guy like that. Now don't get it twisted fellas, I'm no Randle apologist and I'd be the first one to trade him...but I'm happy he wasn't backing down from the manimal, cause it seemed like the team used it as a spark.
Sorry, 12 and 10 in 23 minutes on 50% shooting? Yeah, I'll take it. I feel like Randle has actually improved. Yeah, I still don't trust the long distance jumper at all, and I'm not sure he'll ever be great at that. But he does other things I like at the PF position.
Once Brook spreads the floor Randle will have the inside. I still prefer kuzma starting and Randle off the bench
I’ve can’t say I’ve ever seen such solid empty stats, but that’s what they are. Randle does not fit this team, I’m not even sure he fits the modern NBA, he is a square peg being forced into a round hole. I’m over it, his game is exactly the same as it was last season, either too fast and out of control picking up multiple charging fouls a game, or too slow and overthinking, bogging down the offense. Is he a bad player? No. Does he suck? No. But I do not see him in our future plans, and if he is, we are going to remain BAD. He doesn’t fit, simple as that, this is year 4 (3rd on the court, 4 training camps and preseasons), and he has shown extremely minimal improvement. I’m ready to see him and Clarkson gone already, Clarkson has reached his ceiling and looks lost and disinterested, and Randle is not going to justify the money he will probably command to keep. I already look at Kuzma, and while of course he will hit his struggles too, I see a guy with WAY better basketball IQ, feel for the game, shooting/scoring ability, that incredibly quick shot release you need to separate the good from the possibly great. Yes it’s extrmely early with Kuzma, but when has Randle put up the games he is putting up? Never even in summer league or preseason, he is too lacking in too many areas. Don’t want to keep wasting time on players that aren’t in our future.
