Julius Randle has been nothing short of fantastic to start the season. Through seven games, Randle is averaging 26 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists on 55.8/43.2/83.3 shooting splits. The Kentucky product has done a wonderful job keeping the Minnesota Timberwolves afloat without Anthony Edwards.
However, for years, Randle has been heavily criticized, and the trade involving him and Karl-Anthony Towns wasn't a popular one at first. I believe that Randle is one of the most underrated players in the league, perhaps even the most underrated. Randle is proving that he is the perfect star next to Edwards and is even capable of being a first option if the situation arises.
Admittedly, Randle struggled early last season, which is understandable given that he was getting used to a new team. However, he found his groove in the latter part of the last season and built on this momentum to put together a career-best playoffs. At this point, Randle should have silenced any doubts about his game.
Julius Randle is proving he's an elite star
Say what you will about Randle, but he's always been a gifted shot creator and isolation scorer. Nevertheless, Randle has taken this skill to another level, averaging 1.71 points per isolation possession, a number that leads the league. For reference, last season, 1.39 points per isolation possession (from Tidjane Salaün, funny enough) led the NBA. Randle's critics often point to his shot selection, but it's hard to do so now, given his elite efficiency. Even dating back to the playoffs, Randle posted a 56.8 effective field goal percentage while averaging 21.7 points.
Julius Randle isolation scoring pic.twitter.com/Qsvo313Nnr
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) November 2, 2025
His blend of power and finesse is incredible. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward is an elite bruiser who can punish mismatches. At the same time, Randle's superior ball-handling skills can help him score at will against players of all sizes. Notably, Randle is shooting 75.8 percent at the rim.
Randle's knockdown shooting has also been a key part of his season so far. Randle is netting 43.2 percent of his 3-pointers, which would be a career high. He has done so in a variety of ways, but his 55.6 percent on pull-up 3s stands out. Additionally, Randle has done this while being the Wolves' best playmaker and a lockdown on-ball defender, holding opponents to 40.2 shooting from the field.
Randle's extra self-creation and playmaking were simply something the Wolves didn't get from Towns. The advantages Randle brings to the table didn't get discussed enough with the trade, and even after a stellar playoffs, people somehow still had doubts about Randle. Overall, Randle's stellar all-around skill set and start to the season should silence any negativity about him being the ideal star next to Edwards.