Julius Randle made waves last season with insanely gritty offseason workouts that resulted in him getting to training camp with the Los Angeles Lakers appearing to be in the best shape of his life entering his final season before restricted free agency.
Randle’s aesthetic improvements also resulted in a stronger season on the court, as the forward posted career-highs of 16.1 points on 55.8 percent shooting in tandem with the best defense of his career.
There are stereotypes about workouts and seasons like that, the idea that players often only do so heading into a free agent year in order to get paid and then rest on their laurels, but Randle appears to be bucking that line of thought like it’s a defender standing between him and the rim.