The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a heartbreaking Game 4 loss. One of the key issues of this game was Julius Randle's underwhelming play. He scored just five points on 1-7 shooting and committed five turnovers. Randle's one made field goal was in the first quarter, and he was completely scoreless in the second half. Once his offense went cold, Randle seemed uninterested and was disengaged on both ends of the floor. With the Timberwolves' season on the line, the Wolves' Randle problem might only get worse.
Randle's lackluster play
While Randle has been excellent for most of the playoffs, this series has been up and down for him. The lows of Games 2 and 4 have been simply brutal. Randle's shot selection and decision-making have been particularly detrimental to the Wolves. In Game 4, he jacked up heavily contested shots while he was having an off night. Furthermore, he dribbled into multiple defenders and made poor reads, causing multiple turnovers. Having more turnovers than assists is unacceptable. In a game where Anthony Edwards also struggled, it was costly that Randle also performed poorly.
Notably, in Game 4, the Wolves had 21 turnovers, compared to the Thunder's 14. Turnovers have been a key issue for the Wolves this series, and Randle has been one of the biggest culprits, averaging 3.5 turnovers compared to 3 assists. OKC's defense is forcing Randle to be a playmaker by trapping him, and he has responded poorly to this suffocating defense.
Another concerning aspect of Randle's play is that his defensive effort and impact seem connected to his scoring. In Game 4, when he was struggling to score, his defense slipped. Randle posted a 58.3 defensive field goal percentage in this game. Additionally, Randle gave up offensive rebounds to smaller Thunder players. He was visibly frustrated and disengaged in the second half. OKC's defense deserves a ton of credit, but Randle must step up and manage his scoring struggles better.
Randle's poor all-around play led to him receiving a reduced 28 minutes, including just four minutes in the fourth quarter. Randle's play often goes in waves, meaning it's unclear if he can bounce back after this poor performance, especially seeing how disengaged he was throughout this game.
Randle's post game comments
After Game 5, Randle said that he needs to find a way to get involved in actions.
Randle is partly correct with this quote. He needs to get himself more involved in the offense by setting screens and making the extra pass. Defensively, he must stay engaged for the entire game. However, what Randle seems to mean with this quote is being more aggressive and getting more touches.
Randle's seven field goal attempts were a playoff low, but he still forced plenty of shots. If Randle got himself more involved in actions as a scorer, it's possible this wouldn't have even been a two-point game. Ultimately, with the season on the line in Game 5, Randle will have to find a way to make a more well-rounded impact.