Julius Randle seemed to become the Robin to Anthony Edwards‘ Batman, coming into their series against the Thunder. However, following their 128-126 Game 4 loss to OKC, the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of elimination once again in the back-to-back West Finals.
Randle finished the game with 5 points and 5 turnovers in 28 minutes played in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Following the game, Randle spoke to the media about his struggle to find form against the Thunder. He felt like he was spectating more than playing and needed to find a way to turn that around and be more active in the game. He said:
“I think it was just a lot me just spectating. I gotta figure out a way to get myself involved in actions.”
Randle averaged 23.9 points per game coming into this series. He has since then played two games where he scored in single digits. Game 2 and now Game 4, Randle did not show up for the Timberwolves.
With all the pressure now on the Timberwolves’ shoulders, Randle needs to play his best basketball for them to have any chance. Only 2% of teams facing a seven-game series have come back from a 3-1 deficit. The most recent one was by the Denver Nuggets in 2020 when they came back from 3-1 to beat the Jazz. However, the OKC Thunder are not the Jazz. They did not have an MVP like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to carry their offense.
Anthony Edwards-Julius Randle: The Timberwolves’ Long-Term Solution?
Earlier in the season, when Randle was traded to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, he did not seamlessly fit inside their system. However, Edwards and the coaching staff slowly grew fond of him and saw value in his contributions. From teasing his defensive contributions to outright crediting him for winning games, the evolution of Edwards and Randle as teammates is visible over time.
By the beginning of the Playoffs, the duo was so close-knit together that NBA Insider Brian Windhorst even compared Randle to a miniature LeBron James alongside Edwards. After the Timberwolves’ series with the Warriors, Windhorst said:
“He averaged 25, 7, and 7. 6ft 9 point forward, averaging those kinds of numbers, who does that remind you of? How about LeBron James? He’s acting like a miniature LeBron James in this postseason, being a force with his size. Being able to be a playmaker, being able to play different roles on offence, and different roles on defence. Creating all kinds of havoc with what he’s able to do with the ball while he gets in that triple-threat position. This type of player, next to Ant, is what’s taking the Wolves to the next level.”
Randle may have only shown sparks of what he can do alongside Anthony Edwards, but I highly doubt that the Timberwolves will invest long-term in Randle if his inconsistency costs them yet another chance at the NBA championship. He has a $30.9 million player option available for the 2025-26 season, which he will likely exercise. Beyond which he may not extend with the team if they don’t see any value in him.
