Julius Randle
BIG BOARD: 5
MOCK DRAFT: 8 Birthdate: Nov. 29, 1994 (Dallas, Texas) School: Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) Class: 2014 (OFFICIAL) Height: 6'9" Weight: 250 NBA Position: PF NBA Comparison: Chris Webber Strengths: Athleticism, Post Moves, Upside Weaknesses: Height |
Scouting Report 1.0 (Joseph Fafinski) — 04.30.2014
Many folks thought Julius Randle stunk in his only year at Kentucky. However, as we all know, a year of college “failure” doesn’t exactly translate to the same at the professional level (see: DeAndre Jordan), and vice versa (see: Michael Beasley, Greg Oden). Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Randle is his weight. Clocking in at 250 pounds, the 19-year-old stacks up decently physically with an NBA power forward. A lot of people see him as a Chris Webber-type of player.
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Essentially, he's a guy with a fabulous work ethic who can score and rebound efficiently. What makes Randle a special player is his post moves. His turnaround, his strength, and his hustle will bode well in the pros. Defensively, he’s good—not great. This is obviously something that can change because laterally, he moves well. If you’ve watched his tape, you’ll notice he always hustles back on defense. He’s like the anti-Andrea Bargnani in that
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respect. A problem could be the reliance on his left hand. It’s rare you would find him using his right hand at any occurrence. The 6'9 Randle might not ever be the All-Pro everyone made him out to be last summer, but at worst he’ll be Michael Beasley (please, please, NBA gods, don’t let him be Michael Beasley). He’s a safer pick than most in this draft. You can’t teach this kind of strength.
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