With the start of the Minnesota Timberwolves' season just hours away, excitement is in the air. After back-to-back conference finals runs, the Wolves are hoping to make a championship leap. Undoubtedly, Julius Randle will be a crucial piece of the Wolves reaching their ultimate goal. Randle is clearly the Wolves' second option behind Anthony Edwards.
Now, with Randle entering his second season with the Wolves and showing an increased comfort level throughout last season, including a stellar playoffs. However, maintaining consistency will be vital for Randle, especially as Edwards will receive a ton of defensive pressure. Notably, Edwards was the most blitzed player on pick-and-rolls last season.
Top ten players that have been blitzed most often in pick and rolls this season.
— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) April 7, 2025
Defenses are loading up on Ant and forcing him to be a playmaker -- last year his blitz % was 9 percent pic.twitter.com/8uUmeWm5jC
It's possible this trend continues, making Randle's role all the more important. Minnesota's first game against the Portland Trail Blazers will be the first test. Toumani Camara is one of the best perimeter stoppers, meaning it will be vital for Randle to step up.
Of course, this is just one out of 82 games. The bigger picture is that Randle consistently providing second option level production will factor into the Wolves ability to make a championship run.
Randle's impact and consistency will be key for the Wolves
Last season, Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 48.5/34.4/80.6 shooting splits. He bumped up his averages to 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 50.2/38.5/88 shooting splits in the playoffs. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Randle averaged 23.7 points and played his role to perfection.
However, some of his bad habits popped up again in the conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Randle averaged 17.4 points and averaged more turnovers than assists.
The Wolves will need an assertive Randle to reach their full potential. At the same time, Randle needs to take high-percentage shots and make smart decisions with the ball in his hands. Shooting closer to his playoff average from beyond the arc would greatly benefit the Wolves.
Randle will have plenty of responsibilities as a playmaker; he notably led the team in assists per game last season. While he has an impressive point-forward-like skill set, it will be crucial that Randle makes the right reads when the defense collapses on him. The Wolves' main flaw is playmaking, making Randle's role all the more important.
The Kentucky product can take pressure off Edwards, which was on full display in the playoffs last season. Undoubtedly, one reason the Wolves traded for Randle was for some extra self-creation and playmaking next to Ant. Randle, for the most part, provided that last season, especially toward the end of the year and into the playoffs.
Nevertheless, consistently providing this skill set in high-leverage situations will be essential, particularly when accounting for the Wolves' lack of creation and playmaking outside of Edwards.
Overall, Randle's production will undoubtedly be a primary factor in the Wolves' ability to reach their title goals.