Randle is back!

[Q-is-here]

One feature of this board is that we seem to always need a whipping boy...someone who absorbs the highest portion of the negative comments. Rudy might be a candidate, but I would say Randle is the #1 whipping boy. I have to admit that I wasn't a big fan of his when he played for the Knicks, but the player I watched the last half of last season was not the same guy I saw in NY. He's often called a ball stopper here, but how many ball stoppers lead their team in assists...especially if they're not a PG? Well, Ju did last season, and I expect him to lead the team in assists this season again. And I think he will be second in scoring and rebounding again also.

One of my issues with Ju in NY was that he didn't score efficiently, but his 59% TS% last season matched Ant, and was only exceeded by Rudy. Not surprisingly, the last time he exceeded 59% was in his one season playing for Finch...he never shot this well in NY. He loves playing for Finchie.

He provides some toughness that I think this team lacks...his footwork when he realizes he can beat his man to the basket is excellent. He was the only guy who could bully his defender last season, and hopefully TJ joins his this year.

And the reason I'm more excited about Ju this upcoming season is that he looks even better than last season during these preseason games. He's still really big, but he looks slimmer and faster to me. He was clearly our best player last night, and I think he has been our best player overall this preseason. That's not necessarily a good thing...we need Ant to be our best player if we are going to challenge for a championship. But I'm not worried about Ant...I think he'll be fine once the real season starts, and will be our best player again. But having a Robin like Ju playing at the level he is playing at is vitally important.

I'm not alone here...some guys who follow the Wolves closely are noticing too, and they attribute it to his being happy here along with being comfortable being second in importance to Ant. Britt Robson was a Randle detractor much of last year, but he has raved about the increased intensity he is bringing on defense. And both Dane Moore and Kyle Theige have predicted he will be an All-Star this season.

I think Ju is tainted by his NY performance and attitude, and he'll probably continue to be the #1 whipping boy here. And there is a perception that his presence in the starting lineup is blocking the development of Jaden and TJ. But I don't know that there is anyone in the rotation more capable of drawing double teams and finding them if they are open in the corner...they just need to make the shot, because he will find them.

It's been a year since the KAT trade, and I still think getting a true #2 in Ju, an efficient high-volume 3-point shooter in Donte, and a young center with potential in Joan in exchange was grand theft larceny. I'm obviously high on this team, and having a guy like Ju as Ant's Robin is a lot of the reason why.

There will be a lot of rebuttal I'm sure, and I'm looking forward to it.

My issue with Randle is less about his effectiveness and more about the opportunity cost of keeping him. Hope he proves me wrong, as he did in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but then we ran into the OKC buzzsaw, an opponent that renders his style of play into a cascade of turnovers and inefficiency.

[FNG]

One of the posters you're talking to is me. I'm not going to engage in a daily or even weekly discussion about JR. I think I know who he is as a player and who he isn't. I'll be rooting for him like any other player. But I'm going to let his overall impact play itself out over the season, and not on a game by game basis.

You're one of many, Cool. And I get it...as I said, I wasn't a fan of Ju until last year. I hope he turns you around too, because that would be very good for our squad's chances this year.

[60WinTim]

I've waffled on Randle a lot since he's been here. From a pure basketball perspective, I would take KAT over Randle. KAT is a better shooter, rebounder and rim protector. His fit with Rudy was already established. The team had just made the Western Conference Finals. But the dark cloud hanging over the team was KAT's contract and the upcoming restrictions imposed by the CBA. For anyone without blinders, KAT had to be moved within the year.

After the Western Conference Finals exit, TC had his list of team deficiencies he needed to address. Heading that list was another "playmaker" who could create shots for himself and others, taking some of that burden off of ANT's shoulders. On paper, Randle has those qualities, in addition to filling the position left by KAT's departure. Who knows what other irons TC had in the fire, or when he might have been able to pull the trigger. He apparently held out on the Knicks until they included Donte, along with the Detroit pick. As FNG mentioned, that was a pretty good return assuming you HAD to trade KAT in the near future.

If you view last season as a "transition" year, building chemistry with Donte and Randle, and developing 3 rookies (albeit with limited minutes), getting back to the Western Conference Finals was a pretty good outcome. But the bar has been set. Reaching the Western Conference Finals should be expected. Going further is the goal.

I don't agree with the "opportunity cost" by playing Randle. Do you think NAZ can do the things Randle does? I don't. Do you think Jaden at the 4 can do the things Randle does? I don't. Shannon and Clark can't play the 4.

Now, Randle was brought in for skills he had that the team lacked. I can argue that Shannon has the potential to bring those skills. He is entering his 2nd year with his first chance at regular rotational minutes. We will see if those skills can develop. Maybe Shannon helps make Randle's skillset moot in the next year or two and TC can look at a Randle replacement to improve our rebounding and rim protection. For now, I am all in on the current team picking up where they left off last season.

[Q-is-here]

I've waffled on Randle a lot since he's been here. From a pure basketball perspective, I would take KAT over Randle. KAT is a better shooter, rebounder and rim protector. His fit with Rudy was already established. The team had just made the Western Conference Finals. But the dark cloud hanging over the team was KAT's contract and the upcoming restrictions imposed by the CBA. For anyone without blinders, KAT had to be moved within the year.

After the Western Conference Finals exit, TC had his list of team deficiencies he needed to address. Heading that list was another "playmaker" who could create shots for himself and others, taking some of that burden off of ANT's shoulders. On paper, Randle has those qualities, in addition to filling the position left by KAT's departure. Who knows what other irons TC had in the fire, or when he might have been able to pull the trigger. He apparently held out on the Knicks until they included Donte, along with the Detroit pick. As FNG mentioned, that was a pretty good return assuming you HAD to trade KAT in the near future.

If you view last season as a "transition" year, building chemistry with Donte and Randle, and developing 3 rookies (albeit with limited minutes), getting back to the Western Conference Finals was a pretty good outcome. But the bar has been set. Reaching the Western Conference Finals should be expected. Going further is the goal.

I don't agree with the "opportunity cost" by playing Randle. Do you think NAZ can do the things Randle does? I don't. Do you think Jaden at the 4 can do the things Randle does? I don't. Shannon and Clark can't play the 4.

Now, Randle was brought in for skills he had that the team lacked. I can argue that Shannon has the potential to bring those skills. He is entering his 2nd year with his first chance at regular rotational minutes. We will see if those skills can develop. Maybe Shannon helps make Randle's skillset moot in the next year or two and TC can look at a Randle replacement to improve our rebounding and rim protection. For now, I am all in on the current team picking up where they left off last season.

Tim, it's not that Naz or Jaden or Shannon can each individually replicate the things that Randle can do. My "Randle thesis" is mostly about Jaden and Shannon, not so much Naz. I believe both Shannon and Jaden have the ability to be legit two-way threats that can play in transition and are better suited to the modern NBA. Randle stunts their full potential in terms of touches (Jaden) and playing time (Shannon).

As for Shannon at the 4, while I think the 3 is his most natural position, you better believe he has the size and strength to play small-ball 4 in today's NBA. Shannon is bigger than Jalen Williams of OKC and he was very often OKC's 2nd biggest guy on the floor last season even if his official position designation is SG.