Julius Randle has a lot to prove this season after the forward missed his entire rookie season with a leg injury. Randle was drafted in the first round last year, but never got to play thanks to the injury in the first regular season game for the Los Angeles Lakers. Now healthy and back on the court, Randle is making a quick impression on his teammates and the organization and being rewarded with another year on his contract.
According to the Lakers website via Pro Basketball Talk, Randle has had his third-year contract option picked up which will pay the forward $3.26 million for the 2016-17 season. While there was certainly no question that the Lakers were looking to hold on to Randle for a long time to come, this move solidifies their confidence in him to return and be a dominant player. Randle has already been turning heads as he averages 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in just over 24.5 minutes per game in the preseason. Everyone is noticing just how much he has improved.
"I'm just very happy with the way he's playing," Lakers coach Byron Scott said, via SportingNews.com. "He's competing. He's getting a lot of things right that we talked about on both ends of the floor. And he's a worker, and he's worked hard to get to this point. I think he has a lot of ability to do a lot of things on the basketball court. We're starting to see some of those things come to light."
Randle is viewed as the future of the Lakers organization. In the post-Kobe Bryant era, Randle is expected to help lead the team so the improvement and impressive start to the season is a welcomed sight for the team. So is the quick development of D'Angelo Russell. Heading into the season, Russell is being viewed as a starter while he and Jordan Clarkson work in tandem. According to Scott, Randle and Clarkson are expected to lead the backcourt for many years to come. Pairing those two with Randle mean the Lakers are well-built for the future.
According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Scott has not locked down on a starting five just yet. Russell was a starter, but then he had a big game as a reserve which has thrown the starting five for a loop. Medina writes that Randle, Bryant, Roy Hibbert and Clarkson could be the favored lineup with Lou Williams acting as the Sixth Man and Russell and Nick Young leading the reserves. It remains to be seen if that stands true on opening night.