A few minutes after Lakers practice ended on Tuesday, Julius Randle started shooting 3-pointers, now a daily practice.
When I happened to start recording on my phone, he hit nine straight.
I posted the video on Instagram and Twitter, and went over to chat with Randle, telling him I was sorry, because now at least some folks were going to overreact and assume he turned into Steph Curry over the summer.
Now, Randle struggled with his shot in what was essentially his rookie year, hitting 42.9 percent from the field overall and 27.8 percent from three (10 for 36). There was a hitch in his left-handed release, and he was a bit too upright, his foundation a bit shaky at times.
Sinking several threes in a row after practice on a Tuesday didn’t actually mean anything, of course – after all, non-shooters like Shaq, Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown could drain a few triples after practice – but Randle’s dedicated work throughout the offseason may have.
"I’ve been working all summer on finishing my shot with the ball coming of my hands the same way," said Randle after Wednesday’s practice in Santa Barbara. "A lot of times last year it was coming out in funky or weird ways. Then my shot preparation, just getting my legs and my footwork and everything right before the shot."
Randle said he’s no longer worrying about his shot, a change from a year ago.
"Back then, if I missed two or three shots I was a little hesitant, but it’s (different now)," he explained. "I can miss two or three and I’m fine, because I’m shooting it the same way every time now. It’s not weird misses or anything like that. My confidence overall is really high."
Randle has had an NBA body for years, allowing him to dominate at the AAU, high school and college levels without really having to rely on a jump shot. You could say the same for many physical freaks throughout NBA history, such as Karl Malone, or Blake Griffin.
But at the NBA level, everyone is gifted, and opposing players force you to do things you don’t do as well. There are very few guys like Kobe Bryant, who don’t really have a weakness, and adjustments need to be made.
Last year, it didn’t take an advanced scouting report for teams to know that they should play off Randle, allow him to shoot from the perimeter or force him to finish through traffic. But with hard work, there’s no reason his jumper won’t continue to improve, just like Griffin’s and Malone’s did.
By all accounts around the Lakers, Randle’s been putting in a great deal of work; his shot simply looks much better.
Of course, there’s also an awareness that we have to wait and see how it transfers to game time. And if Randle can become more consistent with his shot, it can open up so many more doors for Luke Walton’s offense.
We’ll get the first taste of what Randle looks like on Oct. 4 in Anaheim against Sacramento, which, all of a sudden, is just around the corner.