Julius Randle is still working things out with his new team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 105–99 on Christmas Day and the forward flirted with a triple-double. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the way.
Randle arrived in Minnesota this offseason as part of a blockbuster deal that sent forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. After his excellent performance on Wednesday, the three-time All-Star admitted he has struggled to fit in as more of a facilitator in the Timberwolves' offense rather than a scorer.
"That's really been the biggest change. You're somewhere for five years, playing a certain way and I come here and it's a little bit different," Randle said. "I love my role here. I love playing with my teammates, but finding what helps the team and what the team needs the most on a night to night basis has been the harder part. But everybody has been great with me, coaches included, helping me adjust and figuring things out."
Minnesota has struggled to a 15-14 record this season as the team had adjusted to incorporating a number of new key contributors with Towns's departure. So far this season, Randle has averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 33 minutes per game. All of those numbers are down from last season.
The 30-year-old spent five wildly successful seasons with the Knicks before the trade, and played the best basketball of his career in New York.
On Wednesday, Randle looked like a perfect fit in the Timberwolves' system, but getting there has been an adjustment.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Julius Randle Makes Honest Admission About Adjustment to New Role With T'Wolves.
