Post by jhb on May 18, 2021 8:55:21 GMT -5
Julius Randle
PF
6'8"
250
19
Kentucky
Randle is an extremely talented player who scouts question whether will be able to thrive at the next level due to his lack of elite size. He's got a sub-7'0" wingspan and is shorter than most power forwards at the next level. He plays a bully ball style on offense that has often not translated for other talented college players when they tried to make the next level. But a lot of those guys lacked the sheer strength and technical ability that Randle possesses.
Randle is extremely skilled from the triple threat position and has a face-up game that is far more advanced than any of his peers in this class. Despite playing low to the ground and strong, he actually can elevate pretty well from 2 feet and has shown some really creative ability to finish in the paint. He's got a knack for getting the ball in the hoop once he's got it in the paint and he does a good job establishing position early to make sure he's got the best chance possible to score. He does a great job using his body and leverage to move everyone else out of the court from his way and he does this especially well on the offensive boards, where he's an absolute terror. He's good out to the mid-range and especially deadly as a pick and roll/pick and pop guy because he's got a smooth jumper with good mechanics and he's also got a surprisingly quick first step that fools defenders and then once they're half a step slow his strength leaves them completely overmatched in trying to recover. Scouts speculate that he won't be able to get away with most of what worked for him in college against a much more long and athletic class of defenders, but Randle showed that he could elevate his game against the best and brightest at Kentucky. Randle isn't much of a passer and prefers to attack the basket once the ball is in his hand, he's very much a downhill threat. The biggest thing scouts point to for him is for the lefty to further develop his right hand both in handling the ball there on drives to his right and perfecting his right-handed finishes as it will make his game a bit more diverse and keep opponents a little more off-balance.
Defensively, Randle is a surprisingly good post defender. While he won't ever be much of a threat as a rim protector, he does have very good defensive instincts and shows really good footwork for a guy his size. He will put a body on a body in the paint and use his leverage to keep defenders from getting into good scoring position on the block. While he might not get his hands up and block many due to the lack of length, he will absolutely wear down opponents by making them work and bang against him in the post. Much like on the offensive end, Randle is a talented defensive rebounder and will use his size and strength to lock down his spot on the block and get to loose balls. He's got good hands and good instincts for judging the trajectory of the ball off the bounce.
Physically, Randle lacks the high-end potential of other young teenagers in this class just because he won't ever have the elite length they have, but that's not to say he doesn't have some significant potential to continue to grow. He's a fairly high floor player with his offensive and rebounding skills, but he's also extremely coachable and gets rave reviews for his attitude and should be able to continue to grow with good coaching.
