A blank expression formed on Julius Randle’s face as he sat on the bench. He was well on his way toward another double-double performance. He had exuded his dependable strengths with his overwhelming power. He had shown glimpses of his potential with his first NBA career 3-pointer and a left hook shot.
But there Randle sat on the bench with 6:01 remaining of the Lakers’ eventual 107-87 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday at Staples Center. He looked dejected as he stared straight ahead as he sat alone on the bench during a timeout. He would finish with 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. But one can only wonder how much more Randle would produce had he played longer.
“I don’t make decisions with playing time,” said Randle, who only played the final 3:46 because center Roy Hibbert fouled out. “The thing that I always tell you guys is I control what I can and I go out there and play hard. I let our coaches decide who’s in and who’s not.”
Lately, Lakers coach Byron Scott has decided to bring Randle off the bench despite the Lakers’ No. 7 pick of the 2014 NBA Draft representing part of their long-term future.
So far, the demotion has yielded mixed results. Randle posted 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes in last week’s overtime loss in Minnesota. But Randle followed that up with two quiet games he had a combined 11 points on 5-of-20 shooting (25 percent) and 17 rebounds. But Randle has since bounced back with two consecutive double-double performances where he has averaged 16 points and 14 rebounds in 24 minutes per contest.
“You guys [media members] were asking if I was discouraged about the shots I was missing,” Randle recalled about his recent slump. “I’m getting those same shots I’m making. I’m never going to get discouraged.”
He may have shown some discouragement when he sat on the bench at times on Tuesday against Houston. Randle played less than rookie forward Larry Nance Jr, who posted 11 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes as the Lakers’ starting power forward. Randle played slightly more than backup center Robert Sacre, who logged two points and six rebounds in 22 minutes amid Hibbert’s foul trouble. Randle also only played the final 2:46 of the third quarter.
But whatever frustration Randle had, he channeled it productively on the court. Randle, a former University of Kentucky standout, also listened to recent advice from Wildcats coach John Calipari about not overthinking on the court.
Randle drove into the lane and converted off a left hook. He threw two bounce passes for easy scores, one to Kobe Bryant and one to Larry Nance Jr. He saved a broken play by nailing a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired.
When Randle received a pass along the baseline, he drove past Houston guard James Harden and then performed an up-and-under move over Terrence Jones to convert on a layup. Randle also sprinted countless times down the court either to convert at the rim or to draw a foul.
“When I’m out there, I’m aggressive and I take the opportunities I can get,” Randle said. “Just try to be aggressive at all times.”
RELATED:
Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, teammates surprised by first dunk of season
Rockets’ Trevor Ariza largely credits LA Lakers’ Kobe Bryant for his development
Kobe Bryant dunks, but Lakers fall to Rockets
Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com