I was watching some of Randle’s All-NBA highlights just for nostalgia when I made an interesting observation
All of Randle’s good plays seem to come when he’s Facing The Basket. He seemed very comfortable with his ball handling last year, and would often make plays out of the triple threat position, or after dribbling on the perimeter.
This year, and also that terrible 2021-22 season, Randle seems to instead prefer Facing Away From the Basket. He’s trying to post up his defender from all the way out from sometimes the 3 point line. Instead of trying to take defenders off the dribble, he’s opting to try and overpower them with his back to the basket.
Why is this significant? When he attacks the basket by backing down his defender and banging against their bodies, he exerts significantly more energy than he would by blowing past them. He also leaves himself extremely vulnerable to double/triple teams, which unfortunately are effective against him. He also just is not a very good post scorer. He doesn’t have the length to finish over taller defenders with a jumphook, doesn’t have the post moves, and gets called for a bunch of travels when’s caught under the basket.
I think the root of this has to do with his confidence in his ball handling. If he can get that back, hopefully his playstyle changes back to what made him so good last season
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Trade him for Zion
Or a BEC
Addition by subtraction the bum is holding us back
He also just is not a very good post scorer.
I say he’s a very good post scorer who needs to pass out of double teams earlier, and everyone else needs to anticipate that by repositioning themselves to get open.
IIRC that last game against Bates-Diop who is 6’8, Randle took his lunch money twice in a row on single coverage. Randle gets in trouble when he doesn’t pass out early enough or doesn’t have a good passing lane.
I think the lack of floor spacing is what contributed to Julius turning into more of a perimeter player instead of a lost player. Him facing constant double teams and not getting foul calls pushed him out to the 3 point line. There is maybe 5 people in the league that can match his strength down low, he needs to tap back in with that post work and stop taking step back 3s
I imagine that comment means Randle doesn’t have a lot of finesse in the post. If he meets someone a strong as him or stronger he can’t just back the guy down and doesn’t the foot work to consistently maneuver around the defender.
His “signature” move in the post is that rip through while getting fouled. That tells you a lot.
Randle’s ball handling has always been weak his strength keeps ppl off him until he gets doubled. Randle would be best if he catches the ball going downhill or in any scenario where he catches the ball with some momentum.
At the end of the day Randle is only doing what Thibs asks. I fully on the side if we used Randle similar in a Draymond Green type of roll in the short roll game that would unlock his game even further and put more pressure on defenses and reduce the likely hood of turnovers
Randle doesn’t have Draymond’s instant and high-quality decision making in the short roll. Or someone like Steph to play off of. Or Draymond’s screen-setting ability.
Randle is only doing what Thibs asks
Doubt
He dribbles far away from his body with his back turned. He gets his pocket picked constantly. And he’s so stubborn he refuses to stop.
His issues are learning to change habits…and effort…and when he has 2 bad games in a row he turns into an immature brat.
Your observation is in fact the issue. He should NOT be handling the ball heavily.
Randle is great at being a bully in the paint but with a quick layup, dunk, or even his fadeaway shot. If he is constantly dribbling/ISO, then he will fumble the ball as every damn team has this guys number. They know he is not a great ball handler, dribbles loosely and if they double team he will try to put up a heavily contested shot, or literally just lose the ball.
With the addition of Brunson, Randle does not have to hold the ball for a long time, and should just stick to plays that he can catch/release the ball quicker as opposed to pounding air out of the ball before doing something negative.
yeah i think you’re right, although i don’t think it’s a conscious change that Julius himself made
i think what happened is that smarter coaches realized he isn’t good at reacting to double teams or press out D
when teams sag off him or let him iso, he torches them—that’s what made him an all-star
but sadly, he does not have the Lebron gene of being able to ignite his teammates and make good passes out of the double or press up. his first instinct is to, like you said, box up (even from the 3) and back down
wastes time, exposes his mid handle, and makes all the doomers on this sub lose their minds
i’m seein the same thing tho