If Julius Randle opts out, should the Pelicans bring him back?

What needs improvement

Though his points-per-game averages increase with each season, his overall game has yet to develop fully. And at 24-years-old, it is still possible that his game matures, but you would like to have seen more progress up to this point. Julius Randle has never been active on the defensive end of the court on a consistent basis. Though he has an excellent combination of power and athleticism, he’s never averaged more than 0.6 blocks per game.

Likewise, he’s often floating around defensively and out of position. So when’s he on the floor, it’s almost become necessary to have a big alongside him that can overcompensate for these deficiencies. That big was Anthony Davis, but the likelihood of that duo being on the court together in the foreseeable future is slim. If Randle were to put more of a concentrated effort on defense—with his frame and physical prowess—he could shed that narrative.

Though his offensive game can, and has in some cases overshadowed his flaws defensively, it’s far from perfect. Often, Randle forces the issues, not allowing the flow of the game to come to him naturally. This is the downside to the aforementioned “bully ball” he plays. When the ball finds its way to Randle, it has this unfortunate habit of dying there; either via a tough, contested shot, dribbling out the shot clock, or getting caught and trying to force a bad pass.  However, if he works on passing out of the low block and at the top of the perimeter and keeping the fluidity of the offense in rhythm once the ball finds him, that would be a welcome improvement.