When you ponder Julius Randle’s rank on a list comparing him to his current peers in the league, how high should he place?
Among the New Orleans Pelicans’ fan base, the popular opinion is that Randle should come off the bench and then wreck havoc on reserve units and anyone else standing before him for the rest of contests. Starter-like minutes? Sure. In with the closing lineup? Sometimes — pending the situation and opponent.
In many minds, this thinking isn’t a slight of Randle. Very good players have at one time or another have agreed to come off the bench to improve the harmony of their team’s rotations.