One of the few positives of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season thus far has been second-year power forward Julius Randle’s strong play. Randle, who broke his leg in the first game of his rookie season, has had some dominant performances in the early going, giving fans and the organization hope that he can become a very special player.
Amidst all of the good performances, however, have been some games where Randle has struggled mightily, which is to be expected for a player who is effectively a rookie in the NBA. One of the main reasons for those struggles has been opponents game-planning for Randle in allowing him to shoot jump shots instead of getting to the rim. Randle has shown an incredible first step and ability to get to the rim but as more defenders learn to give him space and dare him to shoot jumpers, Randle’s job has become more difficult.
According to Bill Oram of the OC Register, the Lakers have realized that problem and are looking to improve Randle’s jump shot in the next step of his development. Randle has been and will continue to work with shooting coach Tracy Murray. Although Randle claims to know some of the basics of a good jump shot, Murray sees plenty of room for improvement:
But coaches say his form is loose. His left elbow juts outward, and Lakers’ first-year shooting coach Tracy Murray laments a hitch in Randle’s form that results in a catapult effect, rather that one smooth motion.
According to Oram, even head coach Byron Scott, a proponent of old-school basketball where big men play with their back to the basket, sees the importance of adding a jump shot, saying:
(A jump shot) keeps everybody honest (defensively) and if you have to play him for making jump shots, now it gives him the ability to do the thing we know he can do, which is get to the basket.
With the Lakers season being all but lost due to their terrible start, it has become even more evident than before the season that the main concern and goal of the season should be the development of the young core on the roster. It seems that the Lakers coaches are starting to see that and initiating that process by attempting to fix a crucial part of Julius Randle’s game.
