Julius Randle may have been accustomed to being the centerpiece of his team’s offense during his time in New York, but that is no longer the case with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The veteran can no longer operate with the shoot-first mentality he’s had throughout his career, especially playing alongside a scoring sensation in Anthony Edwards. Kendrick Perkins recently criticized Randle for his ball-hogging tendencies, highlighting one of his possessions in a contest against Oklahoma City.
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The former big man took to X to quote a lockdown defensive play from Jalen Williams, who picked the ball from Randle multiple times before eventually coming away with the steal. “Great defense but at some point Randle has to pass the damn basketball,” Perkins tweeted, underlining the superb defense from the Thunder star while also pointing out the 30-year-old’s tunnel vision.
Great defense but at some point Randle has to pass the damn basketball https://t.co/YCzNJeaT93
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 1, 2025
The play featured Randle repeatedly going at Williams, who has already established himself as a premier stopper in the NBA. The three-time All-Star was stripped each time he attempted to drive inside, attempting to shake his defender with a series of spin moves and hesitation dribbles to no avail. After the third takeaway attempt, Williams came away with the ball before dishing it to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for an easy fastbreak dunk.
Randle’s heliocentric mentality has been a mainstay throughout his career, which has yielded incredibly mixed results. The 11-year veteran has shown his playmaking capabilities in the past, notching a career-high 6.0 assists during his Most Improved campaign in 2020-21. But Randle has yet to cross that threshold again, instead reverting back to his old ways before the Knicks finally decided to move him. He’ll have to be more willing to pass the ball if he hopes to succeed with the Timberwolves.
Julius Randle needs to be better at both ends for Minnesota
As underwhelming as Randle’s playmaking has been in recent years, his negative impact on the defensive end may be even more concerning for his team. Without a high volume of shots, Randle oftentimes goes without having much of an effect on a contest. His inconsistent production has even so apparent that even Anthony Edwards is caught off guard when Randle puts together a solid defensive possession.
The 23-year-old star joked that he had “never seen Randle play defense before” after his impressive effort against the Golden State Warriors. That can’t continue to be the case for Randle, who was questionably acquired for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns last offseason. Minnesota will continue to regret the move if their newest addition doesn’t become a more reliable all-around contributor.
