Julius Randle sat down with Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell on Thursday for the final Lakers Voices chat of the season. Randle gave his thoughts on his rehab, growing up watching Kobe Bryant and more. Below is a transcription from the chat:
Trudell: Give us an update on how you’re feeling and how the leg and foot are:
Randle: It’s been good. I’ve basically been taking it day by day, week by week. Just trying to get more comfortable on the court, get my cardio up a bit. It’s been going good. Movements that may have been awkward before are getting more comfortable. I’m getting more strength in that leg, so it feels good.
Trudell: What specifically are you doing right now?
Randle: I’m doing a lot of shooting, movements, shots off the dribble, shots attacking the basket with a little bit of resistance. Just trying to build up more confidence and build up to more contact every day.
Trudell: You’ve put focus on getting better even when you’re out. How did that whole process go?
Randle: Doing those reports for (general manager) Mitch (Kupchak) helped me focus a lot more. Instead of just becoming a fan, I started becoming more of a student and understanding why things happen; what you do and why they happen. It’s just something that basically just really helped me focus in on, when I get out there, putting myself in those positions.
Trudell: Are there players that you see yourself playing like in a few years?
Randle: I’ve been watching a lot of guys, honestly. Obviously guys at my position, but I’ve learned a lot from everybody. It doesn’t really matter what position. Maybe how a guy approaches the game or how to communicate with their teammates on the floor. You take those leadership qualities from guys like Chris Paul, LeBron (James) and Kobe (Bryant). I see that every day — how they communicate and push their teammates. Or maybe guys from my position that have my skill set, so LaMarcus Aldridge or Anthony Davis. You saw how he moves around at the four position. You watch stuff on multiple guys and take stuff from all of their games.
Trudell: Who were your favorite players when you were growing up?
Randle: Kobe, that’s it. … For one, it was his mindset. Nobody matches his mindset, his killer instinct on the court. The bigger the moment, the better he plays. And then also from a skill standpoint. Even for me at a young age, his skills separated from where everybody else was; just his footwork or his technique and everything. I could tell from a young age. So I watched him so much and learned so much from him just by watching.
Trudell: You could tell from an early age that he had a complete game, right?
Randle: He had no weakness on the offensive end, and on the defensive end he’s an assassin, too. It’s a tough pill to swallow.
Trudell: How would you describe your relationship with Kobe?
Randle: I can call or text Kobe about anything. It’s been a great learning relationship from a basketball standpoint, or if I need to talk to him about anything.
Trudell: Any specific moments that stand out to you?
Randle: He was my favorite player growing up, so I want to kind of mimic his thinking, or learn how he thinks. Like I said, he helps me with all different things. I remember I was having an off the court issue. I needed advice on how to handle it and he kind of walked me through that. Whether it’s on the court him giving me that confidence or him pushing me; I can remember a time when I was messing up and he want off on me. Some people may be like, “Ah man,” and crawl into a shell. But I took it as a challenge and grew from it. I think that that’s why, from the beginning to the end of the preseason, I kind of felt that growth and that confidence.
Trudell: Has anybody ever compared you to Charles Barkley?
Randle: I have heard that comparison. Like I said, you watch guys now, but I think a big thing with me, too, is I watched guys in the past. When I had downtime, I watched power forwards from the past like Charles Barkley, Antonio McDyess, Antoine Walker. I watched those guys, too.
Trudell: Can the Lakers fight for a playoff spot next year?
Randle: Absolutely. It’s simple. I don’t think anything different. I don’t think we’re going to go into the season thinking we’re not going to make the playoffs or not going to contend. It’s just my competitive way of thinking. I know for the guys in the locker room, it’s their way of thinking as well.
Trudell: What are your big-picture career aspirations?
Randle: Win as many championships as I possibly can, because that’s what this game is about. It’s about winning. Individually, I just want to push myself and challenge myself to reach my full potential. When I go out (and) am done playing the game, I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to be the best at what I’m doing. I just want to reach my full potential.
Trudell: Does it raise the bar for you now playing against all-stars at the NBA level?
Randle: It definitely raises the bar. You play against guys your whole life, and you’re better. Nothing’s gonna change. You’re gonna be better than them. Now I’m at a whole new level, so you’ve just kind of got to work your way up. Those guys come in being the best at what they’re doing, and they kept working and eventually got that spot. So you’ve gotta have perspective on things. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. So my focus is every day I go into what I’m working on, and I’m just gonna go hard at it the best I can. I’m just gonna keep getting better and keep growing that confidence. Eventually I’ll have my time.
Trudell: What do you think about Jordan Clarkson from college to summer league to where he is today?
Randle: He’s always surprised me. Not that I’m saying that I didn’t think he was good or anything like that. From when we played him at Missouri and he had like 27 (points), I had no clue who he was until they showed us the scouting report and were like, “OK, these guys have some really good guards.” He played really well and I was like, “OK, this kid can really play.” And then we drafted him. … And I saw him during summer league, and we were cool. I didn’t really watch him much, because I was too focused on our team. So I didn’t really know if he could play like that or not. I just wanted to see him, and I was like, “Man, this kid can really go.” And I was really impressed and really loved playing with him. He can play obviously, but I’m a big fan of guys’ mindsets, and Jordan doesn’t back down from anybody. Jordan’s always in attack mode, and I love playing with guys like that because that’s kind of the same nature I have. And I feed off that. I think guys that have that same mindset kind of feed off of each other. So what he’s doing right now honestly and truly doesn’t surprise me at all. You obviously see every day at the end of practice: He’s always putting work in, and he just waited his turn.
Trudell: Your jumper has gotten a lot better. What is your outlook on that progression?
Randle: From the first game of preseason till the end, that confidence just grew for me. It just sets up my whole game. And now I feel like I’m shooting it way better than I ever have. I’m just more comfortable with it, just the repetition. It’s just something that, when I was out, I knew was something that I had to improve at and get better with. I knew it was something that was going to be huge for me coming back. So I’m excited.
Trudell: What’s the key to balancing using your jumper against driving to the hoop?
Randle: It’s another thing that you’ve just got to learn. You gotta learn to balance between settling and attacking. So it may depend on how you feel tonight, but you’ve gotta learn that balance. What I do best is attacking. Whether it’s attacking and finishing or attacking and setting someone else up, that’s what I do best.
Trudell: With your recovery, what can we expect from these coming months before summer league?
Randle: I’ve been doing a little bit of contact stuff; not crazy but just a little bit. For a timetable, I don’t know. I have no clue. I think I go to the doctor in May, and we’ll see. Hopefully I just get cleared all the way there. Honestly, I’m just taking it day by day. The x-rays and stuff look good. We just kind of want to take it slow. It’s more of how my body is feeling and how I’m reacting to things more than a timetable.
Trudell: Can you even notice the limitations anymore?
Randle: I was just talking to Coach (Byron Scott) the other day. Certain movements that I was doing last week that may have felt a little soreness or discomfort, I don’t feel it this week. For me it’s more of just keep getting it stronger, being able to jump off of it and explode, and being able to fight through that fatigue. So honestly, since I’ve came back and started doing basketball stuff, I’ve never thought about it at all. I just know my body’s limits.