He is the No. 7 pick in the Lakers, and was once called a soft-boy pseudo-superstar! Now it s outbreak in the Timberwolves

After the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Timberwolves eliminated the Warriors 4-1 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The focus is not Edwards, who scored 22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal, but Julius Randle, who was labeled as a "soft egg". The No.7 pick in the first round of the Lakers in 2014, this season's playoffs averaged 23.9 points + 5.9 rebounds + 5.9 assists to achieve the highest bright performance in his career.

Randall played for four seasons in his early years, then played 73 games with the Pelicans, with averaging 21.4 points per game, and then went to the Knicks to become the star. Although he played very well, the team could not go further after all, and was ridiculed by fans as a "data brush" and "pseudo superstar". Until the Knicks established Brunson as the new core, the Timberwolves exchanged Towns for Randall and Divincenzo. The outside world generally disliked the deal and believed that he could not fill the gap in Towns.

This season's regular season, Randall contributed 18.7 points + 7.1 rebounds + 4.7 assists in a low-key manner, and his three-point shooting percentage was 34.4%, but the real outbreak began in the playoffs. In the first round against the Lakers, he averaged 22.6 points + 5.2 rebounds, and averaged 20+ in four games; in the second round, the Warriors increased to 25.2 points + 6.6 rebounds + 7.4 assists, with a shooting percentage of 53.3%. In the key game of G3, he scored 24 points + 10 rebounds + 12 assists in a single game, completely tearing off the label of "soft egg".

Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals with Randall's stable performance and will compete with the Thunder for tickets to the finals. He averaged 25+ games at the same time with Edwards, which is the first duo in team history to be able to play this stat.

In my opinion, Randall's transformation from a "pseudo-superstar" to a "real tough guy" is due to his personal efforts and a good team environment.

Randall's transformation belongs to "middle-aged awakening". He did not realize his talents until he was 30 years old. Compared with those superstars, it was indeed a bit late. In his early years, he was addicted to low singles and forced shots, and was criticized for his "low ball quotient"; this season, he took the initiative to lose weight, increased three-point shooting (34.5% shooting) and support passes (5.9 assists per game), and even developed accurate ball-splitting skills after pick-and-roll. In the series against the Warriors, he activated role players such as Reed and McDaniels with double-digit assists in two consecutive games, completely transforming into the "tactical axis". The evolution of "from reckless man to commander" is indeed a surprise, and Timberwolves fans will be happy for a long time.

In the past, when he was in the Lakers, his teammates around him needed more ball rights; Knicks, he was forced to be the boss to carry the production. The Timberwolves' "decentralized" system saved him. Edwards attracted defense, Conley controlled the rhythm, and Randle only needed to do his duty as the "second leader" - efficient ending, occasional card deals, and desperate defense to protect rebounds. The coaching staff designed a "fake pick-and-roll" tactic for him, which maximized his height and body shape advantages and further enriched his personal scoring methods.

The most humorous thing is the reversal of fate. When he was abandoned by the Lakers, fans were not optimistic about his future; now he leads the team to eliminate the Lakers, and G5 uses 23 points + 5 rebounds + 4 assists to nail the old club to the shameful pillar of "poor vision".

As for how "soft eggs" become "hard guys"? Just look at his shooting efficiency this season and you will understand that his regular season shooting percentage is 48.5%, setting a new high in recent years, and the same is true for the playoffs.

As Warriors coach Steve Cole said in an interview after the game, Randall's performance this season is incredible and we can't stop him. Looking back at the deal between this team and the Knicks - Towns for Randle, it is a win-win situation for both sides.