Julius Randle owes a lot to Kobe Bryant as far as his evolution is concerned and believes that the future NBA Hall of Famer is a big influence. The third-year player spent a lot of time learning the NBA ropes and now gets a chance to apply all that for the coming NBA season.
The Los Angeles Lakers hold a murky future but Randle believes that he and the other players need to get over the hump from the Kobe Bryant era, LA Times reported. It will be an entirely new ballgame for former University of Kentucky standout as they reclaim lost glory and start a whole new era of Lakers basketball.
Among the things that Randle learned from Bryant included working hard and understanding the competitive nature of the game. With Kobe out, the 21-year-old forward hopes to be part of something new.
Right now Randle needs to cement his hold on the starting power forward position. He is jockeying with sophomore Larry Nance Jr. for the honor and so far he has impressed new head coach Luke Walton.
Two facets were noticeable and one cannot help but trace them back to what Kobe Bryant did during his regime. That includes bringing up the ball and improved outside shooting, Lakers Nation reported.
Of the two marked improvements to Randle’s game, his shooting is something worth noting. He drew a lot of criticism last year for lacking a jump shot though he was being mentored to improve on it to be a better-molded player.
Randle may have raised his arsenal all the way to the three-point region and much of that should be seen during the Lakers’ training camp. Critics believe that for Randle to be among the elite NBA players, adding an outside shot will help him operate inside better.
As witnessed last season, Randle’s game was pretty predictable. He would post up at times and left alone when he is far off from his paint. All that stands to change if he consistently hits it from outside, making him an unpredictable player armed with a new weapon known as the jump shot.
Proof of his improved shooting can be seen in the video below. Check out how Randle has started taking three point shots.