On Sunday, the NBA will announce the players who have been named reserves for the 2026 All-Star Game. While the head coaches have already handed in their ballots, Saturday was the last opportunity for many to showcase why they deserve to be in the game.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards will undoubtedly be named a reserve (and he had a strong case to be a starter). In Julius Randle’s final performance before the reserves are revealed, the 31-year-old put forth an effort on Saturday that was certainly All-Star worthy.
Randle is playing like an All-Star
It was the fourth-straight victory for the Timberwolves on Saturday after they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies by the score of 131-114. In the win, Randle filled up the box score during his 35 minutes of action. He finished the night with 27 points (11-for-17 from the field, 4-for-5 on 3-pointers), seven rebounds, and seven assists. Randle’s 10 points in the first quarter helped Minnesota get out to a nine-point lead after the first 12 minutes.
Julius Randle fully aware of the advantages he has in this matchup, and is going to work.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 1, 2026
On Saturday, Randle looked like an All-Star, and that is something he has looked like frequently this season. To start, Randle doesn’t miss games. That’s not hyperbole -- he has appeared in all 50 of the Timberwolves’ outings. In those 50 games, the 6-foot-9 power forward is posting averages of 22.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. His 81.9% free-throw accuracy is the highest of his 12-year career, and Julius’ field goal shooting of 49.3% is his best since 2018-19.
Those numbers certainly wouldn’t have Randle out of place in the All-Star game. Neither would Minnesota’s record of 31-19 good for fifth-best in the Western Conference. As mentioned, Ant-Man will be named a reserve, but the Timberwolves have been good enough to merit having two All-Stars.
Numerous members of media have been leaving him on the outside
Will Randle be named to his fourth NBA All-Star game? Some members of the media have shared who they would name to the team, and Randle has mostly been a snub on those lists.
On Friday, John Hollinger of The Athletic’s article was posted, where he names his reserves for both conferences. Randle (and Rudy Gobert) are on his Western Conference snubs, and Hollinger mentions that if Julius were in the Eastern Conference, he would make it. A couple of weeks ago, Tim Bontemps of ESPN listed his All-Star teams, and he didn’t even mention Randle (or Gobert) in passing.
Fans can tune in at 5 p.m. CT on NBC/Peacock to hear the announcement of the 2026 All-Star Game reserves. If Randle isn’t one of the seven reserves named for the Western Conference, that won’t necessarily mean he won’t be participating on February 15 at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Almost every year, injury replacements are needed, and Randle would be at or near the top of the list of those replacements if not originally named to the team.