The Los Angeles Lakers have extremely high hopes for their first round pick back in 2014 Julius Randle. Randle played only 14 minutes in his rookie season before breaking the tibia in his right leg, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. Randle has been rehabbing since the injury and appears to be ready for training camp. Randle will show up to training camp in great shape, as he has reportedly lost 20 pounds, according to Mark Medina of InsideSoCal.com.
Randle's injury was likely just a freak occurrence, but it could be a reason to worry for the Lakers and their fans. The last thing the Lakers need is for one of their top draft picks to be injury prone and miss time every season. Because of the injury Randle suffered last season, the Lakers will likely be extremely cautious with him in training camp and at the beginning of the season. Randle is expected to participate fully in camp but the Lakers could decide to alter their plan and ease him along.
Randle was able to play in the summer league with the Lakers, where he played in four games and although he didn't shoot the ball particularly well he looked healthy. Randle is listed at 6-foot-9 250 pounds, so he is definitely a load down low, but the reported loss of 20 pounds should allow him to be quicker and more nimble while also helping to keep him healthy.
If Randle continues to prove he is healthy during training camp, he will likely find himself in a battle for the starting power forward position. The Lakers brought in Brandon Bass this offseason, and he and Randle should be fighting it out for starters minutes. At the beginning of last year, Randle was coming off the bench behind Carlos Boozer, so it is very possible that Byron Scott continues to bring Randle off the bench until he shows he deserves to start.
A good sign for Lakers fans is the fact that in his one year at Kentucky, Randle was healthy and dominating. In the 2013-14 season for the Wildcats, Randle averaged 15 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and the Lakers are hoping that he can be that type of presence for them this season and into the future.
