Perfect fit: Julius Randle has been key part of Timberwolves' playoff success
The veteran struggled to fit in after being obtained from the Knicks just before training camp, but he now looks like a guy who could be in Minnesota for the long term.
Three months ago it was difficult to envision Julius Randle being back with the Timberwolves next season. Today, it’s difficult to imagine the Wolves without him in 2025-26.
That is how much has changed in the seven months since Randle arrived in Minnesota, along with Donte DiVincenzo, from the New York Knicks in the NBA version of an October surprise. The Wolves’ dealing Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp wasn’t on anyone’s radar, and the turbulence it caused created doubt about Tim Connelly’s decision to make such a big move.
But on Saturday night in San Francisco, the Wolves’ president of basketball operations looked like a guy who knew exactly what he was doing. Randle, 30, recorded the first playoff triple-double of his 11-year career, finishing with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 102-97 Game 3 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Randle joined Kevin Garnett as the only Wolves in franchise history to have a triple-double in the postseason.
Randle began to change the opinions of Wolves fans — and, perhaps, the franchise itself — upon his return from a 13-game absence in early March. Randle played in 48 games before suffering a right groin strain, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.
The issue was that Randle’s involvement in the offense had a square-peg-in-a-round-hole feel to it. Randle seemed intent on scoring, even when moving the ball would have been the better option. There was a friction during a November loss in Toronto as Randle elected not to pass the ball to center Rudy Gobert in the paint. A frustrated Gobert casually made his way out of the paint and was called for a 3-second violation.
On Saturday, Randle ran a fast break on which he dished the ball to Gobert for a dunk with just over two minutes left to give the Wolves a six-point lead.
Randle’s improvement in the Wolves’ system shouldn’t have come as a shock given how late he was acquired — DiVincenzo had similar struggles — but the Wolves’ roller-coaster season had created a sense of urgency for the pieces to start fitting together.
In Randle’s case, it turned out that missing time might have been the most beneficial thing that could have happened.
He returned from his injury having a better idea of what coach Chris Finch wanted from him and what the offense needed. Randle became more of a point forward, scoring a little less (18.2 points) and increasing his assist total to 5.2 in his final 21 regular-season games. His shooting percentages also improved: from 47 percent from the field and 32.1 on three-pointers in his first 48 games to 52.3 percent from the field and 39.8 percent on threes.
Randle’s impact in the playoffs has continued. Point Julius is averaging 6.4 assists in 36.8 minutes. He’s also averaging 22.4 points.
Randle, like superstar teammate Anthony Edwards, played a pivotal role in the second half of the Wolves’ victory on Saturday, giving them a 2-1 lead in the second round series. Six of Randle’s nine second-half assists went to Edwards, who scored 28 of his game-high 36 points in the final two quarters.
“(Randle) was incredible, man,” Edwards told reporters. “Finding everybody on cuts. Finding the open guy time after time. Just pushing the pace. That’s what we asked of him, and he’s been doing that at a high level. We can’t ask for nothing better, man. He’s been making the game a lot easier for me, so I appreciate having him.”