Julius Randle Has Arrived
The marriage between Julius Randle and Tom Thibodeau gets an A+. Randle is playing like an All-Star and Thibs has changed the culture.
Can’t Put the Ball in the Hole: The Terrible Three
Another year. Another lottery appearance for the Knicks, Cavs and Hornets who lack offensive talent, cohesion, leadership and experience.
Magic’s Mistakes Have Been Epic
The last time Magic Johnson made these many mistakes he was in the NBA Finals. It was 1984 and against the despised Celtics Magic fell apart. How bad was it? Kevin McHale, in response to Magic coming up small, referred to him as Tragic Johnson. In Game 2, Magic dribbled out the clock and didn’t…
L.A. Is In Search of Toughness
Former Laker Caron Butler had a nickname given to him during his time at a Milwaukee juvenile institution. Tough Juice. It encapsulated the Butler career and made him a fan favorite at all his NBA stops. Fans naturally align themselves to the hardest worker and the grittiest player, the one who doesn’t care about stats…
The Superstar Squeeze
If you are a good player like Julius Randle, the idea of playing with a superstar is exciting. You get to see close up their habits and rituals and how they prepare. They can teach you something. But what you don’t really think about is the business of playing with a superstar. They take up…
Julius Randle “Stay” Billboards Coming to a Freeway Near You
Not Drinking the Loyalty Kool Aid Six months ago, if you were projecting the second day of March 2018, and putting down some money, the safe bet was Lakers power forward Julius Randle in a different uniform. Traded. On to another city. It served everyone’s needs. Randle could be with a team that looked upon…
Not Traded and Cautious About July 1st
History points to an upside when players rumored to be traded are not traded. Free agency and paydays are coming next. Even the ones still under contract have hopes of trades to playoff teams and their fates changing as the new team is willing to offer an extension. The clique of men left behind on…
The Julius Randle Extension: Yes or No?
The 2014 draft class is eligible for contract extensions of three more years at a higher salary. A few will benefit. Others, without extensions, will be restricted free agents in the summer of 2018. Offering an extension is fraught with complications and in a lot of ways can backfire. The message beforehand is to proceed…
Larry Nance’s Upside, Julius Randle’s Downside
Larry Nance Jr. has missed the last four games because of knee soreness. Nance tore an ACL while at Wyoming so it makes sense the Lakers and the training staff are being extra cautious. Nance has been one of the bright lights of the Lakers dismal season, a late first round pick that most scouts expected…
Randle and Scott Say Everything Is Cool (Do You Believe Them?)
When all else fails, the professional athlete goes to the blame the media card. It’s a strategy that elicits sympathy because the media is often seen as inciting a riot. The media derives glee from turmoil is the prevailing theory. While it is true that media reporting can, unintentionally, take an incident, exaggerate the details and…