Julius Randle can't be praised enough for his stellar start to the season. Through six games, Randle is averaging 27.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 56.4/47.1/82.5 shooting splits.
Additionally, Randle has been remarkably consistent; he has yet to shoot below 50 percent from the field and has only scored fewer than 20 points once, when he scored 19. Randle has notched 30-plus points three times this season, most recently against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
One thing that stands out to me when watching Randle is his versatility. Undoubtedly, this versatility is a key part of Randle's stardom. With Anthony Edwards, it allows him to be an ideal co-star, but without Ant, Randle is capable of taking on first option duties in large part due to his versatility.
Randle's versatility as a scorer
Randle's scoring abilities have always been his bread and butter. He can score at all three and excels at creating his own shot. Impressively, Randle ranks in the 97th percentile for isolation efficiency, scoring 1.68 points per possession.
Julius Randle isolation scoring pic.twitter.com/Qsvo313Nnr
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) November 2, 2025
The 6-foot-9 forward is most well-known for being an elite bruiser. He can punish mismatches at a high rate and attacks the rim with great force. Notably, Randle is shooting 76.9 percent at the rim (84th percentile). However, Randle can also get to his spots in the mid-range. He is shooting 53.3 percent on 2.5 mid-range attempts.
While Randle is only a career 33.6 3-point shooter, he has always been a willing outside shooter. And so far, he is shooting a career-best 47.1 percent from beyond the arc. Randle shot 38.5 percent in the playoffs and 41.1 percent in the 2020-21 season, so there's reason to believe this isn't simply a fluke.
Randle is also shooting a staggering 62.5 percent on pull 3s. Having Randle consistently space the floor, along with his stellar creation abilities, opens up the game for everyone else.
Randle's playmaking and defense
The other main area of Randle's game that stands out is his playmaking. As the Wolves often operate without a traditional point guard, Randle takes on a lot of ball-handling duties. His 23.1 assist percentage ranks in the 89th percentile.
Randle is also averaging 8.7 potential assists in addition to his already impressive 5.2 assists. He is also averaging just 2.2 turnovers, which is the lowest rate of his career since his second year.
What really stands out with Randle's passing to me is, you guessed it, his versatility. At times, Randle organizes the offense like a point guard. He also finds open teammates while driving. Furthermore, Randle can be used as a high-post playmaking hub, finding open cutters and shooters. Randle truly does it all as a playmaker.
The last part of Randle's impact I'd like to highlight is his on-ball defense. Opponents are shooting just 39.4 percent when Randle defends them. The Kentucky product mostly defends forwards, but he is also capable of picking up centers and switching on to guards if need be. He is also a high-level rebounder.
It's been said that the NBA has become positionless, and Randle is a perfect example of this. Ultimately, Randle can impact every aspect of the game in a positive way, which makes him a quintessential modern star.