Lakers’ Julius Randle says he’ll be NBA Rookie of the Year

When you’re a top draft pick, much like Julius Randle of the Los Angeles Lakers you’ll often find yourself on a bad team. That’s not good if you’re hoping to win immediately but great if you’re looking to pad your stats.

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And while I’m sure Randle would love nothing more than to find his Lakers in playoff contention this season, that seems rather unlikely so the power forward will have to be content with 30 to 40 wins and a chance to prove his worth on the court.

There has already been discussion of Julius Randle eventually carving out a spot in the starting rotation as noted by head coach Byron Scott, something the rookie is likely salivating over.

With few players standing in his way, it’s not impossible to think that Julius Randle could crack the starting lineup on Opening Night. He certainly has the confidence for it, as shown during a rookie AMA on Reddit where he stated he believes he’ll be the 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year award winner.

Asked by a fan as to who he thinks will will the honors, the former Kentucky Wildcat talent gave the following answer.

"Shaking my head… Who do you think it will be. You think I’m going to say anyone but myself."

There are usually only a few players in contention for the award simply because they need the floor time and ability to put up the needed stats. Thankfully for Randle he’s likely to have such so it’s within the realm of possibility that Julius could come home with the award when all is said and done.

He’ll certainly have competition but there’s no reason Julius Randle’s name won’t be in the mix.