Julius Randle Has Proven To Be A Great Number Two Option
Randle has enhanced his performance in the playoffs for the Minnesota Timberwolves
This year’s playoffs have offered suspenseful moments. While many star players have put together great performances, others have contributed significantly.
Although the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season ended in the Western Conference Finals, power forward Julius Randle has come through in a huge way for Minnesota.
It was a sluggish start for the Randle
On October 2, 2024, following a five-year collaboration, the New York Knicks exchanged Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.
Following the trade, numerous Timberwolves supporters expressed their discontent and questioned how he would integrate into a team led by the star player, Anthony Edwards.
The concerns proved to be valid.
Randle's numbers took a major dip after averaging 24.0 points and 9.2 rebounds last year. This season, he logged averages of 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while failing to make the All-Star team for the first time since 2022. As a result, the Timberwolves finished the season with a 49-33 record.
Randle stepped it up when it counted most
Despite his slow start, Randle has shown up in the playoffs for the Timberwolves.
During the playoffs, Randle averaged a playoff career-high 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. He had many impressive performances, but his best occurred in Game 5 of the Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors. He finished that game with a playoff career-high 31 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
Although Edwards is still the Timberwolves’ leader, Randle’s recent contributions could be a bright spot in Minnesota.
Randle is under a four-year contract he signed with the Knicks, with a player option for next year. If he decides to pick up the option, the Timberwolves could have a chance to make another huge playoff run.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson