James Worthy

Mike Trudell

As far as regular season games go, you can’t do much better in February than the defending champions visiting prime Dominique Wilkins and his Atlanta Hawks.

The hype must have been intense that night in Fulton County, yet both teams managed to overdeliver.

The outcome was an absolute barn burner stretched over the course of 53 thrilling minutes at the Omni Coliseum. The purple and gold took it by a score of 126-119, but the real winners were those lucky enough to witness it.

How good was the Lakers starting lineup in 1988? Four of them came into the game shooting above 50% from the field. The lone exception was A.C. Green, just missing the mark at 49%.

However, after trailing by six at the end of the first quarter, the Hawks came flying back to dramatically turn it around in the second quarter, and eventually taking a 10-point lead into the final frame.

Wilkins was at the height of his powers that year, averaging a career-high 30.7 points per game.

He rose to the occasion that night too, finishing with 38 (on 42 shot attempts!) but that Lakers team was always a cut above.

L.A. eventually erased the entirety of Atlanta’s lead on a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook (and-1) with 45 seconds left in regulation, prompting a wild celebration from the bench – including Pat Riley. It was the first time they were in front in the second half.

The Hawks would go on to force overtime, but by then the Lakers had all of the momentum.

Byron Scott scored 6 of his 18 in OT and Magic Johnson hit a dagger three-pointer to put the game out of reach. Earvin posted a mammoth triple-double too: 29 points, 19 assists and 11 rebounds.

You know who else dropped 38 that night? That would be James Worthy, who shot a fantastic 17-of-27 from the field and was perfect at the charity stripe in four attempts.

Green added 17 and 11 boards, while Cap chipped in 12 points to make sure the entirety of the starting five scored in double digits.

The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA at 60-12 and wound up defeating the Detroit Pistons in the Finals to earn the 11th title in franchise history – and the final one of the Showtime Era.

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Lakers History: Showtime Prevails in OT Thriller in Atlanta

David Stern famously said the NBA’s ideal Finals matchup was “Lakers vs. Lakers,” but in 1991, he was pretty, pretty happy with how things turned out: Lakers vs. Bulls … and, really … Magic vs. Michael.

Magic was already, well, Magic. He’d driven the “Showtime” Ferrari to a ridiculous five titles since earning Finals MVP as a rookie in 1980, and was about to start his ninth Finals series in 12 seasons. A true living legend, Magic – with a little help from Larry Bird – had already no-look-passed the NBA to new heights. Meanwhile, Jordan’s legend was growing fast as he prepared to take the League to an even greater zenith. There was nobody more imposing with his combination of physical and mental gifts, nobody cooler. But he’d yet to play in a Finals game, and there was skepticism about if he and the Bulls could really take down Magic, fellow 1988 Finals MVP Big Game James and the Lakers. The two stars had split the last four MVP’s, MJ in 1988 and 91, and Magic the two in between, their showdown fully primed.

“This is a dream come true to play Michael in the Finals,” said Magic. “It’s something I think we’ve both been looking forward to. When you’re a competitor, you want to play against the best. I played against Larry, and I’ve always wanted to play against Michael.”

On the NBC pregame show, Bob Costas’ partner was none other than Lakers legend Pat Riley, just before he was took over the Knicks. Riles summarized the NBA Finals like this: “You cannot feel good enough just by being here,” he told viewers. “It comes down to one thing: winning, or misery.”

With a new coach, Mike Dunleavy, and new starter Sam Perkins to play alongside Magic, Worthy, Byron Scott and second-year center Vlade Divac, the Lakers went 58-24 before sweeping Houston in Round 1, handling Golden State 4-1 in Round 2 and taking care of Portland (who’d finished with the NBA’s best record of 63-19) 4-2 in the WCF.

Meanwhile, Phil Jackson was in his 2nd season coaching the Bulls, and led them to an Eastern Conference-best 61-21 record. They sailed to the Finals, sweeping the Knicks, beating Philly 4-1 and demolishing the Jordan-Rules Pistons 4-0 in the ECF. Jordan’s 31.5 ppg on 53.9% FG’s with 5.5 dimes and 2.7 steals were complemented by ultimate wing man Scottie Pippen, with Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and John Paxson rounding out the starting five.

OK … let’s send it to Marv Albert and the Czar of the Telestrator, Mike Fratello:

FIRST QUARTER9:43: Watching a game from the early 1990’s looks very little like watching an NBA game today, mostly due to the massive difference in 3-point shooting. The game began with Worthy, Divac and Perkins all scoring in Chicago’s paint, and Cartwright scoring inside before Jordan hit the game’s first perimeter shot, a long two: “Both teams will try to establish an inside game right away, the coaches told us yesterday,” said Fratello.

7:00: Jordan took the assignment of defending Magic from the opening tip. Magic mostly back-dribbled his way from half court to the 3-point line, where he’d initiate the offense with a pass to either wing, trying to get his teammates going, especially Worthy, who along with Perkins was hitting early to put LAL up 10-5 before MJ’s first dunk.

5:38: Big Game James drilled his fourth FG in the opening minutes, a pretty baseline jump hook, to put LAL up 16-10. There was a lot of discussion pregame about Worthy’s balky ankle, with Dunleavy suggesting he was around 70 percent at that time ... and it would get worse as Game 1 went on. Riley also pointed out that Pippen had given Worthy some issues in the regular season due to his rare combo of quickness and length, but Worthy had the early advantage.

Side note: Mychal Thompson has – for years – argued with us on Lakers planes and busses that Worthy’s ankle was (spoiler alert!) the main issue in the series. He still hasn’t come off that argument, and just texted me: “That’s THE reason we lost.” I countered: “It wasn’t … Jordan?” Stay tuned for his response.

2:00: The Bulls were a little nervy early in their first Finals game … with the exception of Jordan. His ferocious dunk was his third already, and he had 11 points with three assists to account for 17 of CHI’s first 20 points as they trailed by one.

1:10: Magic’s first points came at the FT line, after he drew a foul on MJ. Magic was terrific at getting to the line throughout that postseason, averaging a playoff-career-high 9.4 attempts, and hitting 8.3 of them (88.2%), towards his 21.8 ppg with 12.6 assists, 8.1 boards and 1.2 steals. Not bad!

0:06.7: Perkins drilled his second 3-pointer of the quarter, which basically shocked Marv and Fratello. Threes were mostly a novelty, but Perkins could certainly let it fly, a stretch 4/5 before they were cool.

0:00: Jordan found Grant alone at the rim for a quarter-ending layup that gave Chicago a 30-29 lead, thanks mostly to his 15 points on 7 of 10 FG’s plus 5 assists. LAL played the better team game, spreading their scoring around, but they’d yet to find an answer for MJ.

SECOND QUARTER9:15: LAL sub Terry Teagle scored early in the 2nd Q amidst an 8-2 LAL run that put them up 37-32, reminding me of why the Lakers would eventually lose the series … Dunleavy wasn’t playing Mychal Thompson! “Yeah,” texted Mychal. “Nothin but DNPCDs for ME. Dunleavy…” The new coach played a short rotation that in fairness isn’t uncommon in the Finals, with four starters getting at least 40 minutes and Scott 37. Teagle played 10 minutes, A.C. Green 16 and Larry Drew 5, for a total of five bench points. Meanwhile, Worthy was still dealing, up to 14 points.

7:10: A graphic showed the all-time playoff scorers at that point, of course dominated by Lakers and Celtics: 1) Kareem (5,762 points); 2) West (4,457); 3) Havlicek (3,776); 4) Bird (3,681); 5) Elgin (3,623); 6) Wilt (3,607) and 7) Magic (3,547).

Today’s list includes a few more Lakers, starting with a current one: 1) LeBron (6,911); 2) Jordan (5,987); 3) Kareem; 4) Kobe (5,640); 5) Shaq (5,250); 6) Duncan (5,172) and 7) Karl Malone (4,761).

4:30: Pippen had an excellent stretch alongside four bench players, spurring an 8-0 run that erased a 7-point Lakers lead while Jordan got his first rest. Magic returned with Jordan, and promptly helped the Lakers stop the run by drawing another foul by driving into Will Perdue. Terrific energy from both teams.

2:15: Dunleavy started to send more bodies at Mike after his ridiculous first quarter, with three Lakers converging on Jordan’s drive late in the 2nd Q, and Scott getting a steal that ultimately got Perkins two FT’s on the other end to make it a 47-all tie. UNC’s 1982 championship squad was QUITE prominent here, with Jordan (a freshman), Perkins (sophomore) and Worthy (junior) all repping Carolina blue.

0:17.9: Magic “did not give Jordan a chance to body up on him, or to double … as soon as he caught the basketball, he turned and went,” said Fratello, as Magic got back to the FT line. In Game 1, Magic showed a great mix of attacking to get to the line, and passing out to the perfect spot when doubles came. I wonder how much LeBron has watched Magic at this stage of his career ... LeBron post ups have been the most effective play for any NBA team this season, and they look pretty similar to some of these possessions for Magic, who’d finish with 11 assists and 10 FTA’s.

0:00: LAL went into halftime trailing by just two despite shooting 44 percent, compared to a scorching 61 percent for CHI. L.A. did hold Jordan to only three points in the 2nd Q after his 15 in the first, though he was up to eight assists. Going into halftime, NBC had a graphic comparing Jordan to Magic, and of course the difference was five championships to zero. Marv said Jordan would “like to put a dent into that.”

THIRD QUARTER9:00:  Magic’s seventh assist came off his graceful-yet-powerful transition push you watched so many times throughout the 1980’s, with the 22-year-old Yugoslavian* showcasing his terrific hands with the catch and layup. Vlade was so skilled, and often relieved pressure from the high-pressure Chicago defense, while also managing to score 16 points with 14 boards, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 44 minutes. His two FT’s moments after the layup tied the game at 59.*Yugoslavia was in turmoil at the time of the Finals, and the republic would devolve into war in 1992, splitting into five different countries, including Divac’s native Serbia.

6:10: Magic’s first FG of the game kept LAL within one, as he buried a running 1-handed floater to beat the shot clock. The Lakers were content to slow the pace as much as possible, methodically waiting until late in the shot clock, and never panicking. All five starters were capable of creating their own shot.

2:01: Simple, effective, smart basketball – Magic calmly backed his way into the edge of the paint, waited for Worthy’s man (Grant, on that possession) to dig down, and fed Big Game for a pull-up J. Worthy, by the way, was not moving great on that sore ankle, but he hit another shot from the same spot on the next trip to answer Pippen’s hoop and put LAL back on top, 69-68.

0.00.6: MAGIC! How about back-to-back 3’s in the final minute of the third, including one just ahead of the buzzer, to shush a formerly raucous Chicago Stadium crowd and give LAL their first semblance of breathing room in the form of a 75-68 lead.  The Bulls didn’t bother to contest either attempt, one in semi-transition, the other in Jordan’s face. Magic, a career 30.3% 3-point shooter, hit 32.0% that regular season (3.2 attempts) and 29.6% in 19 playoff games, though he did make 21 triples in the postseason, doubling his previous high of 10 in 1988-89.

“Michael won the early rounds, but you sense there is Magic in the air!” exclaimed Marv heading into the fourth. Mammoth shots from Magic.

FOURTH QUARTER9:30: Uh … get Magic back in there! Dunleavy tried to get Magic a few minutes of rest, and Chicago took advantage with a 6-0 run, getting to within one and forcing a time out. Magic returned, but Jordan scored four quick points to put the Bulls up 78-75, completing a 10-0 run. Many teams would have crumbled under those circumstances, but not Magic’s Lakers. He got back to the FT line and hit 1 of 2 before finding Divac for a layup to tie the game at 78. Meanwhile: Pippen’s fifth foul had him on Phil’s bench.

6:53: There’s Magic, again. Just doing everything. A layup through two Bulls bigs at the rim put LAL up 80-78. He quelled the big Chicago run almost singlehandedly, and had reached a triple-double (17, 10 and 10 at that point). He didn’t win five rings by accident!

4:33: Magic drew Mike’s fifth foul and hit two more FT’s to make it 94-90, LAL. Jordan had just canned a jumper that was answered by Worthy’s layup, but Big Game was limping even more noticeably at this point. He was struggling to move defensively, and Jordan added an assist for Grant’s dunk, then an and-1 hanging J to put the Bulls back on top.

3:30: Chicago had begun to aggressively trap Magic the second he crossed half court. LAL just stayed disciplined, eventually working the ball back to Johnson later in the clock. Divac hit a pair of FT’s as a result of the Bulls trap to put LAL up one. The FT line was a massive factor in this one, LAL hitting 28 of 34 attempts to CHI’s 14 of 18, making up for the discrepancy in FGM’s (38 for CHI, 30 for LAL).

2:33: Danger time for LAL, as Pippen’s J put the home team up 89-86. LAL’s response: a tough, hanging J in the paint from Perkins. LAL got a stop on D, then 1 of 2 FT’s from Perkins after a time out. He finished with 22 points on 8 of 17 FG’s. All tied at 89 with 1:30 to play.

0:46.0: After two Pippen FT’s, Divac missed a wide-open baseline jumper again created by the quick trap of Magic. Jordan juuuust missed a bank shot on the other end, and Dunleavy called his final time out with 23.5 seconds to play. Worthy could only stand around on offense, limiting how LAL typically would have countered the trap of Magic. How was L.A. going to find a way?

0:14.0: Perkins for three! LAL had caught Chicago completely off guard. The Bulls weren’t able to trap Magic right away, because Perkins, Scott and just-inserted Teagle were all spaced on the opposite side of the floor. Divac was off the floor, and Cartwright didn’t have a big to guard, so he was on Perkins. Still, the Bulls game plan was to take the ball out of Magic’s hand, so Cartwright left Perkins to try and come over to help on Magic, and Magic fired a one-handed pass across the court. Perk let it fly before Grant could rotate off his own man to Perkins, and absolutely buried it. That was his third make in four attempts. Great play call from Dunleavy.

For a point of comparison, in 2019-20, the Lakers have attempted 31.4 3’s per game, ranking 23rd in the NBA (No. 1 Houston attempts a staggering 44.2 per game). In this 1991 Finals game, the Lakers attempted 10 triples, making five, and the Bulls seven, making only one (Jordan).

0:12.0: The Lakers needed just one stop to win Game 1, take home court advantage, and in their own mind, open a clear path to Magic’s sixth title. With that at stake, Jordan collected the ball on the inbounds pass and drove into four Lakers, and somebody in the crowd deflected the rock out of bounds into a Bulls time out. By the way, in case you were wondering, NBC gave their lineup for that night: “Our Shining Moment,” “Expose,” “Real Life with Jane Pauley” and “Murder in High Places.” Can’t say I was into any of those shows at age 10.

0:09.0: Jordan got a great look at a jump shot after a crossover dribble easily freed him from Perkins, but he missed, in and out. Scott cleared the rebound, and while he missed the first of two FT’s with 2.7 seconds left, Chicago was out of time outs, and Pippen missed a desperation shot from midcourt. Game over. Lakers 93, Bulls 91 snapped a 15-game home playoff winning streak for Chicago.

0:00: Magic finished a hell of a game with 19 points on 4 of 5 FG’s and 9 of 10 FT’s, hitting both of his 3-point attempts at the end of the third quarter, not to mention 11 assists, 10 boards and one steal. A hobbled Worthy managed 22 points on 11 of 24 FG’s, but his injured ankle would plague him and his team as the Bulls went on to win the next four games.

Jordan had 36 points on 14 of 24 FG’s with 12 assists, eight boards and three steals; Pippen chipped in 19 points, 7 boards and 5 assists with a pair of blocks, but the All-Star duo didn’t get much help, as no other Bull managed more than six points (in fact, five Bulls had six exactly).

After I finished the game, I texted Mychal again, wondering if maybe it was Jordan, more than anything else, that ultimately vanquished the Lakers despite their super impressive, gritty, intelligent Game 1 win in hostile territory. His abbreviation-heavy response:

“No...We won game 1 HEALTHY...IN CHICAGO...James goes down for the series ala KD last year...and we were done without him...Just like the Warriors were handicapped without KD. Only bcuz they didn’t hav James to worry about.”

MT isn’t backing down … and he didn’t even mention his son Klay ALSO being out for Golden State, by the way!

He concluded with this: “U were wat? 6 years old? 5*? So u wudnt know.”

Alas. What a game. What a moment. Magic besting Michael for a final time, before the torch of greatness was passed for the rest of the 1990’s up until Jordan would pass it on to the next great player: Kobe Bryant.

I’ll be back this weekend to watch one of Kobe’s games for our next Retro Running Diary.

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Lakers-Bulls, 1991 NBA Finals Game 1: Retro Running Diary

Joey Ramirez

The Lakers are honoring their 1986-87 championship team’s 30th anniversary by wearing Hardwood Classics throwbacks for select games. The following is a part of a series chronicling that team’s title run.

For a juggernaut Lakers team that finished the season 68-17, the Denver Nuggets amounted to little more than a speed bump on their way to the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Lakers had swept all five regular-season games against Denver and were about to add three more to that total.

The Nuggets had limped into the eighth seed with a 37-45 record, and Most Valuable Player Magic Johnson set the tone in Game 1 by hitting an 88-foot buzzer-beater to cap off a first half that saw the Lakers pile up 82 points.

James Worthy racked up 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting that night to lead the Lakers to a 128-95 win in their playoff opener.

Game 2 was the closest contest in terms of score, but the result was never in question considering Los Angeles ended the first quarter with a 40-23 lead.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the way with 28 points and four blocks, while Johnson (21 points, 15 assists) and A.C. Green (16 points, 13 rebounds) threw in double-doubles during L.A.’s 139-127 win.

Facing a sweep, the Nuggets came out strong on their home floor in Game 3, taking a 26-25 lead in the first quarter. However, the Lakers stopped fooling around from there, outscoring them by 38 the rest of the way for a 140-103 victory.

Byron Scott (25 points) and Worthy (22 points) filled the bucket, while Johnson (16 points, 14 assists) and Green (18 points, 10 rebounds) once again doubled up to knock out the Nuggets.

Worthy was a wrecking ball throughout the series, averaging a team-best 23.0 points on 72.2 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Scott put up 19.3 points and Johnson provided 17.7 points and 14.3 assists.

On the other end, the Lakers corralled future Hall of Famer Alex English — who was the NBA’s third-leading scorer that year (28.6 ppg) — by holding him 10 points below his season average.

L.A. would go on to face the Golden State Warriors, who also didn’t provide much of an obstacle in their championship run.

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Hardwood Classics: 1987 Opening Round

After sweeping Denver in the opening round of the 1987 playoffs, the Lakers made sure to avoid being upset by a Golden State team that went just 42-40 during the regular season.

Los Angeles (65-17) very nearly fell down that path in Game 1, trailing by seven at halftime. However, league MVP Magic Johnson and All-Star starter James Worthy had other plans.

The Lakers exploded for a 49-23 third quarter, pushing ahead for 125-116 win, as Worthy led the scoring with 28 points, while Johnson collected a monster triple-double with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists.

Game 2 was a scoring bonanza for the purple and gold, which had six players reach double figures in a 116-101 win. Thirty-nine-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the way with 25 points and four blocks, while Johnson (23 points) and Worthy (20) were excellent, per usual.

Plus, Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper shined on the other side of the ball, tallying 12 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists off the bench.

Game 3 was simply a beatdown, as the Lakers cruised to a 133-108 victory behind Worthy’s 28 points and another triple-double by Johnson (20 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists). Former No. 1 pick and mid-season acquisition Mychal Thompson got in on the action, racking up 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 appeared to be more of the same, as the Lakers took a 14-point lead heading into the final quarter. However, Golden State’s Sleepy Floyd wasn’t going to allow his team to be swept.

An All-Star for that year only, Floyd set NBA postseason records by scoring 29 points in the fourth quarter and 39 in the second half to finish with 51 on 18-of-26 shooting from the field and 13-of-14 on free throws.

Though Byron Scott (28 points) and Abdul-Jabbar (27) had the Lakers lined up for a win, Floyd added 10 assists and four steals, while receiving help from fellow one-time All-Star Joe Barry Carroll (23) and Larry Smith (16 rebounds), as the Warriors survived with a 129-121 victory in Oakland.

However, their season would end soon after. The Lakers once again built a big lead in Game 5, going up by 22 in three quarters, but this time buried Golden State, 118-106. Worthy led the way with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while A.C. Green (20 points) and Johnson (19 points, 13 assists) did the rest.

Worthy was an animal throughout the series, averaging 22.0 points on a  62.0 percent clip (44-of-71). Johnson — whose 12.2 assists per game led the league just ahead of Floyd (10.3) — won the battle between top point guards by putting up 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.8 assists.

However, Floyd wasn’t a slouch, providing his team 22.6 points and 10.4 assists. In fact, with the likes of Carroll (20.0 points), Smith (13.8 points, 15.6 rebounds) and future five-time All-Star Chris Mullin all competing under first-year head coach George Karl, the Warriors were certainly a team capable of pushing the Lakers closer to elimination.

Nonetheless, Coach of the Year Pat Riley and co. ensured that one game was all Golden State would take, as the Lakers moved to 5-1 all-time against the Warriors in the playoffs.

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Hardwood Classics: 1987 Western Conference Semifinals

admin

Es un poco difícil predecirlo, considerando que solo tenemos 14 minutos de temporada regular como evidencia, ya que Randle se fracturó la pierna ante Houston el 28 de Octubre de 2014.

Pero sí tenemos un poco de evidencia, ya que el potencial de estrella siempre ha estado ahí. El oriundo de Dallas ha estado entre los mejores jugadores de su edad desde que era un niño. Con 6’9’’ de estatura y 250 libras, Randle fue uno de los 10 semifinalistas para el premio al Jugador del Año Naismith en su único año en Kentucky. Él promedió 15.0 puntos y 10.4 rebotes, un año después de promediar 32.5 y 22.5 en la secundaria. De cara al Draft de 2014, algunas preocupaciones existían sobre una lesión en su pie que sufrió en Prestonwood Christian Academy, y que potencialmente requeriría una cirugía, por lo que cayó un par de peldaños, permitiéndole a los Lakers seleccionarlo con el No. 7 en el Draft de la NBA.

Ahora, con su pierna completamente sana, encara su segundo año en la liga. Al menos un miembro del Salón de la Fama que ahora forma parte del cuerpo técnico de los Lakers piensa que la rara combinación entre los atributos físicos de Randle y su claridad mental lo convertirán en una estrella tarde o temprano.

“Julius tiene una dimensión extra en su juego que no se puede enseñar o practicar”, dijo el legendario James Worthy. “Es natural. Es un buey natural. Es muy físico, y extremadamente rápido. Su primer paso es realmente impresionante y me recuerda a una de mis jugadas”.

Worthy no es el primer Laker en apodar a Randle como un “buey” tras observar su estructura esbelta pero poderosa este verano. En realidad, ya sean sus compañeros, entrenadores u ojeadores en el centro de prácticas, el consenso en El Segundo es que Randle ha sido una bestia en los meses del verano. ¿Cómo llegó a eso?

Si rebobinamos un año, Randle estaba progresando paulatinamente durante el campamento de entrenamientos de los Lakers, promediando 15 puntos y 8.5 rebotes en los últimos dos juegos de pretemporada (27 minutos por partido). Luego vino la fractura, una operación y otra cirugía preventiva subsiguiente, que no era obligatoria ya que de todos modos se iba a perder el resto de la temporada.

El fisioterapeuta de los Lakers Gary Vitti lo mantuvo bajo estrictas restricciones durante su rehabilitación, limitándolo a un máximo de 20 minutos por juego en la Liga de Verano Las Vegas. Predeciblemente a Randle le costó establecer un ritmo como resultado, pero mostró algunos flashes que entusiasmaron al cuerpo técnico.

De vuelta en Los Ángeles, Randle se pasó todos los días del verano en el gimnasio. Levantando pesas, haciendo ejercicios cardiovasculares, disparando, mandándole mensajes de texto a Kobe Bryant y jugando uno contra uno con Metta World Peace, además de disputar partidos junto a D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson y varios otros compañeros.

Y con el principio del campamento de entrenamientos, él ahora trabaja nada menos que junto a “Big Game” Worthy.

“Es uno de los mejores jugadores de todos los tiempos, así que poder escucharlo y aprender varias cosas es importantísimo para mí”, dijo Randle tras la práctica del martes en Hawái. “Estoy emocionado. Son un montón de trabajos con los pies. Diferentes situaciones en las que puedo seguir mejorando, utilizando mi físico y rapidez de maneras más efectivas”.

Randle siempre ha tenido el apetito necesario para querer ser el mejor, pero también es lo suficientemente inteligente como para reconocer la cantidad recursos a su disposición para ayudarlo a acelerar ese proceso.

“Así soy yo,” explicó. “Tengo ese hambre de todos modos. Es una gran oportunidad, pero siempre he tenido grandes metas. Me automotivo”.

Está claro, es bueno tener la confianza de un miembro del Salón de la Fama, pero nadie tiene más confianza en el futuro de Julius Randle que Julius Randle.

Tras la primera práctica de Byron Scott en el campamento de entrenamientos, nos sentamos a hablar con Worthy para charlar de manera extendida sobre Randle. Esto es lo que nos dijo:

P: Sobre lo que ve en Randle y lo que le está tratando de comunicar:
Worthy: “Julius tiene una dimensión extra en su juego que no se puede enseñar o practicar. Es natural. Es un buey natural. Es muy físico, y extremadamente rápido. Su primer paso es realmente impresionante y me recuerda a una de mis jugadas, pero lo que estoy tratando de hacer con Randle es que frene un poco. Él ama competir, ama el contacto, y a veces incluso lo inicia y trata de forzar la situación. Lo que quiero hacer con los pasos y jugadas es que simplifique todo eso para no tener que ser tan físico todo el tiempo, pero está en gran forma, es una bestia, y además también está mostrando mucho liderazgo.

P: Sobre ese primer paso, y la importancia de la coordinación de sus pies:
Worthy: Para mí es un don. Entender el talento que tienes es importante, y yo sabía que era más rápido que la mayoría, y por eso lo implementé en mi juego. Además, teníamos un entrenador de atletismo que nos enseñó cómo usar ese primer paso, pero mayoritariamente era natural para mí. Y para Julius también es instinto natural. El primer paso de Julius elimina la defensa del lado débil, porque no puedes rotar y llegar ahí a tiempo. Lo segundo es ponerte en una posición en la que puedes hacer la movida contraria las veces que la defensa sí llega a recuperarse. Ahora mismo él todavía busca forzar su camino hasta el canasto; lo que estoy tratando que haga es ganarle a la primera línea de la defensa, y cuando ellos se recuperan, estar listo para hacer otro movimiento, y hay muchos de ellos.

P: Sobre si Randle realmente puede convertirse en una estrella:
Worthy:Creo que sí. Cualquiera que sea tan joven, con tanto talento y tan receptivo a aprender (tiene una gran chance). Él se junta con Kobe. También se junta con sus compañeros, pero tiene ese filo y quiere ser un líder. Es un jugador inteligente, porque las cosas que le dije el año pasado las ha dominado. Eso era de frente al canasto: cuando está de frente al canasto él le pone mucha presión a la defensa porque retroceden, y eso le da la oportunidad de disparar. Cuando él les da la espalda, los defensores pueden presionarlo un poquito más y él no puede ver la defensa en el lado débil.

P: Sobre el desarrollo del tiro de Randle:
Worthy: Sé que está trabajando en eso. Lo que estamos tratando de hacer es que reciba y dispare, y no que reciba y dude. Cuando recibe y dispara automáticamente, él es un tirador de mejores porcentajes. Cuando recibe y mira dónde está la defensa, él es menos efectivo. Si la defensa está cerca, tú sabes que no tienes el tiro. Cuando recibes y no están cerca, debería ser algo natural, pero se está acercando a eso.

P: Sobre el desarrollo de su trabajo con Randle:
Worthy: Amo a Julius, en parte porque tuvimos la misma lesión. Me dolió en el corazón cuando (se rompió la pierna) la temporada pasada y por eso lo llamé esa misma noche. Luego me enteré que quería trabajar conmigo. Él sabe que solo tuvo un año de universidad y que el aprendizaje seguirá siendo duro. Él está entusiasmado y quiere aprender.

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¿En qué se puede convertir Julius Randle en la NBA?

What can Julius Randle become in the NBA?

It’s a bit hard to tell, considering we have just 14 minutes of actual regular season evidence since Randle fractured his leg against Houston on Oct. 28, 2014.

But we do have some evidence, as the potential for stardom has always been there. The Dallas native has been among the top players in his age group since he was a kid. At 6-foot-9, 250, Randle was one of the 10 semi-finalists for the Naismith College P.O.Y. award in his one year at Kentucky. He averaged 15.0 points and 10.4 boards as a freshman, one year after going for 32.5 and 22.5 in high school. Heading into the 2014 Draft, there were a few concerns about a foot injury that he suffered at Prestonwood Christian Academy potentially needing future work, so he slipped a few spots, making the Lakers all too excited to nab him with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft.

Now, his leg is fully healed, and he’s heading into his rookie, er, second year. At least one NBA Hall of Famer who happens to now be on staff with the Lakers thinks Randle’s rare combination of physical gifts and mental acuity will make him a star sooner than later.

“Julius has an extra dimension to his game that you can’t teach or work on,” said Big Game James Worthy. “He’s a natural. He’s a natural ox. He’s very physical, but he’s extremely quick. His first step is really impressive and it reminds me of one of my first step moves.”

Worthy isn’t the first Laker to call Randle an ox after observing his slimmed-but-still-powerful frame over the summer. In fact, whether it’s been his teammates, coaches or scouts around the practice facility, there’s been a consistent murmur out of El Segundo that Randle’s been beasting his way through the summer months. How has he gotten here?

If we rewind a year, Randle was progressing steadily in Lakers training camp, averaging 15 points and 8.5 boards in the final two preseason games (27 minutes per game). Then came the fracture, an operation and a subsequent surgery on his foot that was preventative in nature, not mandatory, since he was already out for the year.

Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti kept him on a pretty strict system throughout his rehabilitation, which included limiting Randle to 20 minutes per game in the Las Vegas Summer League. He had the expected struggle of establishing a rhythm as a result, but he showed some real flashes that had the coaching staff excited.

Returning to Los Angeles, Randle was in the gym every day this summer. Lifting, doing cardio, shooting, texting Kobe Bryant and playing 1-on-1 against Metta World Peace, along with scrimmaging with D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and many other teammates.

And with the start of training camp, he’s now working with Big Game.

“He’s one of the greatest players of all-time, so to be able to pick his brain and learn various things is huge for me,” said Randle after Tuesday’s practice in Hawaii. “I’m excited. It’s a lot of footwork stuff. Different scenarios where I can continue to (better) use my physicality and quickness in more effective ways.”

Randle’s always had the type of hunger to want to be the best, but he’s smart enough to recognize the treasure trove of resources in front of him to help speed up that process.

“That’s just me,” he offered. “I have that hunger in me regardless. It’s a huge opportunity, but I’ve always had big goals. It’s self-driven already.”

Yes, it’s nice to have the confidence of a Hall of Famer, but nobody’s more confident about Julius Randle’s future than Julius Randle.

After Byron Scott’s first training camp practice, we sat down with Worthy to talk more extensively about Randle. Here’s what Big Game had to offer:

Q: On what he sees in Randle and what Worthy’s trying to impart upon him:
Worthy: Julius has an extra dimension to his game that you can’t teach or work on. He’s a natural. He’s a natural ox. He’s very physical, but he’s extremely quick. His first step is really impressive and it reminds me of one of my first step moves, but what I’m trying to do with Randle is get him to slow down a little bit. He loves to compete, he loves the contact, and sometimes he even initiates and tries to force the issue. What I’m trying to do with the footwork and the drop steps and all that is simplify so he doesn’t have to be so physical all the time. But he’s in great shape, he’s a beast and he’s actually showing a lot of leadership as well.

Q: On that first step, and the importance of footwork:
Worthy: For me it was a gift. Understanding the talent that you have is important, and I knew I was quicker than most, so I implemented that into my game. Plus, we had a track coach for a little while that showed us how to utilize the first step, but it was mostly natural for me. And for Julius it’s natural instinct.  The first step for Julius eliminates the weak-side defense, because they can’t rotate and get there quickly enough. The second thing is to put you in a position to make a counter move when the defense does recover. Right now he’ll still try to bully his way to the bucket; what I’m trying to get him to do is recognize the weak-side defense and know where it’s coming from. With his first step, he can beat the first line of defense, it’s just that when guys recover, he’ll be able to do a counter move, and there are plenty of them.

Q: On if Randle can become a real All-Star:
Worthy: I think so. Anybody who’s that young with that much talent who is receptive to learning (has a real chance). He’s hanging out with Kobe. He hangs out with his peers too, but he has an edge about him and he wants to be a leader. He’s an intelligent ballplayer, because things I told him last year he’s pretty much mastered. That was facing the bucket: when he faces the bucket it puts a lot more pressure on the defense because they back up, that gives him the opportunity to shoot. When he has his back to you, the defender can press him a little bit and he can’t see the weak-side defense.

Q: On the development of Randle’s jumper:
Worthy: I know he’s working on it. What we’re trying to get him to do is catch and shoot, not catch and hesitate. When he catches and shoots automatically without thinking about it, he’s a higher percentage shooter. When he catches and looks at where the defense is (it’s less effective). If the defense is up on you, you know you don’t have the shot. When you catch and they’re not close, it should be a natural thing. But he’s getting there.

Q: On the development of his working with Randle:
Worthy: I love Julius, in part because we had the same injury. My heart dropped when he (broke his leg) last season and that’s why I made the phone call late at night. Then I found out he wanted to work with me. He knows he only had one year of college and that the learning curve is still pretty big for him. He’s just eager, and he wants to learn.

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Randle Ready to Roll?

EL SEGUNDO – El ex jugador de los Lakers James Worthy fue contratado por el equipo para trabajar con el cuerpo técnico, según anunció hoy el gerente general Mitch Kupchak.

En su posición, Worthy trabajará con el entrenador Byron- Scott y su equipo, enfocando su atención en los internos de los Lakers. Él acompañará al equipo a Hawái para el campamento de entrenamientos y continuará trabajando con los jugadores de los Lakers a lo largo de la temporada. Worthy también continuará su rol como analista de Time Warner Cable SportsNet en la cobertura del equipo.

“James fue uno de los mejores delanteros en haber jugado este deporte”, dijo Kupchak. “Sentimos que él será una valiosa adición a nuestro cuerpo técnico y que hará un trabajo excelente enseñándole a nuestro grupo de internos. Estamos complacidos y somos afortunados de darle la bienvenida nuevamente a la organización”.

Un miembro del Salón de la Fama de la NBA, Worthy disputó sus doce temporadas en la NBA (1982-1994) con los Lakers. También nombrado como uno de los 50 Mejores Jugadores de la Historia de la NBA, él concluyó su carrera con los Lakers en el sexto puesto en puntos (16,320), séptimo en porcentaje de tiros de cancha (.521), y tercero en robos (1,041). Su palmarés incluye tres anillos de campeonato (1985, 1987 y 1988); JMV de las Finales de la NBA (1988); dos selecciones al Tercer Equipo de la NBA (1990 y 1991); siete veces elegido al Juego de Estrellas (1986-1992); y una selección al Primer Equipo de Novatos (1983).

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Lakers suman a James Worthy a su cuerpo técnico

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EL SEGUNDO – Former Lakers player James Worthy has been hired by the team to work with the coaching staff it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

In his position, Worthy will work with head coach Byron Scott and his staff, focusing his attention on working with the Lakers big men. He will accompany the team to Hawaii for training camp and will continue to work with Lakers players throughout the season. Worthy will also continue his role on Time Warner Cable SportsNet as an analyst for the network’s Lakers coverage.

“James was one of the best forwards to ever play the game,” said Kupchak. “We feel he will be a valuable addition to the coaching staff and will do an excellent job teaching our group of big men. We are pleased and fortunate to welcome him back to the organization.”

An NBA Hall of Famer, Worthy played all twelve of his NBA seasons (1982-1994) with Los Angeles. Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, he concluded his career with the Lakers ranked sixth all-time in scoring (16,320), seventh all-time in team field goal percentage (.521) and third all-time in team steals (1,041). His accolades include three NBA Championships (1985, 1987 and 1988); NBA Finals MVP (1988); 2-time All-NBA Third team (1990 and 1991), 7-time All-Star (1986-1992) and All-Rookie First Team (1983).