Julius Randle is entering his second season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-foot-9 forward ended up in Minnesota due to a surprise blockbuster trade involving him, Donte DiVincenzo, and Karl-Anthony Towns just days before training camp. Recently, Jon Krawczynski wrote a moving article about how being traded helped Randle find happiness and how he immediately felt like he was at home in Minnesota.
Still, Randle was facing the uncertainty of having a player option in the 2025 offseason. Additionally, basketball-wise, it took a bit for him to fully integrate with the Wolves. However, when Randle found his groove, he became an indispensable part of the Wolves’ success. With Randle already being used to the Wolves and vice versa, the start of this season should go more smoothly.
Julius Randle is a key part of the Wolves’ success, and he is primed for an even better season
In the 2024 portion of the season, the Wolves were just 17-15. Nevertheless, they closed the season with a 17-4 record and earned the No. 6 seed.
Randle returned from injury in these final 21 games, and he averaged 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists with 52.3/39.8/79.1 shooting splits. His 3-point shooting percentage and assist numbers were notable improvements from his season averages.
Randle being more empowered as a playmaker was a key part of the Wolves’ season turnaround. The Kentucky product carried this momentum into the playoffs, where he averaged 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 50.2/38.5/88 shooting splits.
This included a monstrous second-round series where he averaged 25.2 points. Until the Western Conference finals, the Wolves only lost two playoff games. Randle’s blend of shot creation and playmaking proved to be a perfect fit next to Anthony Edwards. Having an elite second option in Randle can help the Wolves reach new heights.
Now with Randle (and DiVincenzo) being integrated into the team, it’s fair to expect the Wolves to be the version we saw during the end of the season and playoffs. Minnesota’s overall continuity will be a strength.
Randle might not put up career highs statistically, but as we saw toward the end of last season and in the playoffs, his impact will never be more vital for a Wolves squad with title hopes.
While the Wolves were the No. 6 seed last season, they were just two games back from the No. 2 seed. It’s not far-fetched to believe that the Wolves will be a top-three seed this season and Randle will be a big part of that.