At the beginning of this year in college basketball this upcoming draft class was being compared to the 2003 class in terms of being one of the most talented of all time. Everyone also quickly realized this draft will have quite a few future stars and franchise changing players. With that said for the next few weeks I’ll be putting together scouting reports on each of the top prospects this year, as well as a few prospects that I think could be sleepers in such a deep draft. First up, I’ll take a look at Julius Randle who most agree is a lock to be a top 5 pick, and what to expect from Randle when he makes the jump to the next level in the league. Randle is projected to be a top 5 and maybe even a top 3 pick in this year’s draft.
Strengths
Randle is an athletic freak in the best sense of the word. He presents a series of match-up problems for big men as he has a very uncommon combination of speed and strength that you just don’t see very often in the NBA. He can get to the rim with ease, whether it be with spin moves and behind-the-back ball handling or by simply bullying his way to the bucket, which Kentucky fans saw on many occasions this year. When Randle does decide to go up strong in the post he is just too strong and too good a finisher to be denied and that often leads to him scoring while drawing the foul as well. You can ask Montrezl Harrell how much of a handful Randle is in the post. Along with his strength he has unusually sound ball handling skills for a player his size and has demonstrated the ability to run a fast break by himself this year, usually after also snagging the rebound. Speaking of rebounding, Julius really is a savage on the boards. Offensive and defensive rebounds seem to come in bunches when Randle is on his game and he is the main reason that when Kentucky won games this year, they were won many times on the offensive boards. Offensive rebounds, put backs and the foul. Rinse and repeat. In the NBA, Randle is the perfect small ball power forward. If he is paired with a big man who can be a rim protector and shooters who he can kick to after he posts up, he will be a game-changing player. Surround him with those things and you can basically run the entire offense through him and just let him eat on the defensive boards.
Weaknesses
The few knocks on Randle come on the defensive end of the game. Randle isn’t really a shot blocker (which is why I said he should be paired with a rim protector) and has trouble guarding big men who can shoot from the perimeter. While Randle can take advantage of a defense with his strength, he sometimes gets too fond of bullying his way to the basket at times and can become turnover prone. His turnover rate improved greatly throughout the year at Kentucky, but at times he can still be stripped or lose control of the ball as he gets too out of control trying to get to the rim. One last knock on Julius is his tendency to become a black hole on the offensive end. Sometimes when he gets the ball in the post or the mid-range, he doesn’t look to kick it out or find the open man, he simply puts his head down and goes to work. While sometimes he exploits the match-up and dominates his man to get to the basket but when a defense collapses on him or he is double teamed, he has to find the open shooters and make the pass back out. When Randle is able to see the floor while posted up and make those passes when he needs to, that’s when he is really at his best.
NBA Comparison
There may not be a perfect player comparison to Julius that is currently in the league, but I would describe him as a super athletic Zach Randolph. Another big lefty who can bully his way to the rim at any time and is an animal when it comes to rebounding on both ends of the floor. However while Z-Bo might not be able to jump over a pack of baseball cards, Randle plays well above the rim and can sky for rebounds and finish lobs with the best of them. Randle could be what people thought Zach Randolph was going to be when he was still developing. I think that may be the best comparison right now, although I think Julius will exceed that comparison in a few short years in the league. Another description of Randle that I have heard is that he is “a poor man’s Chris Webber”. While Webber was bigger than Randle, and was an all time great, I don’t think that statement is too far off. Randle could develop his mid-range shooting, which is already good for a big man) to an elite level and also has shown the ability to possibly even develop into a decent three point shooter later on in his career, which would be a skill that could take him to a whole other level in the NBA.
Who Will Draft Him?
There are a number of teams that would take Randle if available and a player of his kind is one of the rarest to find in a top draft pick. The Utah Jazz would have to consider taking Randle (but would take Jabari if available) and would be able to pair him with Enes Kanter and Trey Burke and could have a decent squad if they re-sign restricted free agent Gordon Hayward. The Lakers and Celtics would both have to seriously think about taking Randle, who could be the new face of the franchise for either team, if Wiggins and Parker are both gone. I think other than those two, Julius Randle is the best player in this draft and only those three have the potential to be the perennial all-stars that GMs hope they become. All those teams (and other) would be thrilled to add Randle to their roster in this draft, but one team more than any other stands out to me as the one who should draft Julius Randle, and that’s the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers have Michael Carter-Williams who in my opinion is the rookie of the year and next year will have a healthy Nerlens Noel to add into the mix as well. Add him to the two lottery picks they hold this year and the Sixers will have a whole new identity in a very short time and if they draft correctly they could be a playoff team as soon as next year. Change the uniforms, find a new coach, sign a few free agents and signal the dawn of a new era in Philly. That’s what I would do, and I would also make sure that unless you can get Jabari Parker (best player in the draft), that I get Julius Randle in a Sixers jersey. Pairing Randle with a defensive monster like Nerlens Noel in the paint could be nearly unstoppable for most of the league and give MCW the keys to the team and let him run the show. Use the second lottery pick on a guy like Nik Stauskas or James Young who can be a lethal outside shooter, add in a few key role players and you have a recipe for a contender and a VERY exciting team.
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