At his best, Julius Randle looks like an elite No. 2 option and the perfect co-star next to Anthony Edwards. However, Randle is highly erratic and currently in the midst of a slump. As such, if the Minnesota Timberwolves get this version of Randle in the playoffs, it's fair to be skeptical of their title chances.
Perhaps the most concerning area of Randle's slump is his 3-point shooting. In the eight games post-All-Star break, Randle is averaging 14.5 points and shooting just 16 percent from 3-point range. It's unreasonable to suggest that his production will be this poor for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.
Nevertheless, if Randle doesn't provide more consistent secondary shot creation and improve his 3-point shooting, that could lead to a disastrous scenario for Minnesota in the playoffs.
Julius Randle's poor shooting could harm the Timberwolves
Edwards already receives an immense amount of pressure from opposing defenses. If Randle's poor shooting continues, opposing teams could sag off him entirely and essentially send the house at Edwards. The tricky part is that playing alongside Rudy Gobert often forces Randle to play on the perimeter.
Of course, he takes on some ball-handling and creation duties. Still, there are many times where Randle is counted on to hit 3s either off the catch or pulling up, and right now, he can't do that at a consistent rate. In fact, among players who have shot at least 200 3-pointers this season, Randle's 31.1 3-point percentage ranks fourth to last.
Randle has shown signs of being a capable 3-point shooter, though. In the first 12 games of the season, he shot 40.7 percent from deep range. Additionally, he shot 38.5 percent from 3-point land in the playoffs.
When Randle is knocking down shots at this high a clip, the Wolves' offense reaches another level. It helps open up opportunities for Edwards, and it's often connected with Randle producing at a high level on the ball. Nevertheless, Randle is highly inconsistent, and the fact that he's in a cold stretch as we near the playoffs is alarming.
I'm not saying that Randle needs to shoot around the 40 percent mark, although that would help. Regardless, if he can't shoot around a league-average mark, then the Wolves will likely be sent packing early. Simply put, when Randle is shooting this poorly, it makes the Timberwolves' offense a lot easier to game plan against, and it makes containing Edwards all the more plausible.
In the final 18 games, all Timberwolves fans will be watching Randle's 3-point shooting, and it will be a massive swing factor in their ability to win come playoff time.