Steve Kerr was not expecting Julius Randle to author his Warriors downfall.
Randle had two disappointing postseasons with the Knicks as he battled injuries. When he was traded to the Timberwolves this offseason, many felt the Knicks had won the deal while landing Karl Anthony-Towns.
Kerr would have agreed earlier in the season after playing Minnesota — but not anymore, not after Randle put up massive numbers and helped lead Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year.
After the Timberwolves eliminated the Warriors in five games, culminating with a 121-110 win Wednesday where Randle led all scorers with 29 points in a 13-of-18 shooting performance, the Warriors coach sung the big man’s praises.
“Julius Randle was incredible. What a series,” Kerr said postgame. “He’s always been a really good player in this league. I think he has taken a leap. I remember playing here early in the season and it looked like a tough fit. They didn’t have the spacing … They missed (Karl-Anthony) Towns. Fast forward to now, he’s 13 for 18. He was incredible the whole series. We couldn’t stop him.”
The Randle playoff turnaround certainly quiets any narratives he picked up during his time as a Knick, where he shot 29.8 and 37.1 percent from the field in the 2021 and 2023 playoffs, respectively.
Randle wasn’t just criticized for his poor play on the court prior to this postseason, but also his body language and attitude were a sight for sore eyes as he appeared to unravel as the heat turned up.
The Timberwolves’ big man has been a force on the inside this postseason, shooting 50.9 percent from the field in 10 playoff games and ranking second on the team with 23.9 points per game.
His high-level performance has been the X-Factor for Minnesota’s playoff run, led by Anthony Edwards with Randle as his running mate.
Coming up short in the playoffs with the Knicks sure seems to be a thing of the past, but his next test could bring those bad habits back out for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves easily bested the big man-less Lakers in five games in the first round, while the Warriors — also without a traditional center — fell in five with Steph Curry missing the last four contests.
Golden State typically opts to play 6-foot-6 forward Draymond Green as its lone center.
If the Oklahoma City Thunder down the Nuggets in the other West semifinals series, which they lead, 3-2, entering Thursday’s Game 6, they would have loads of defenders and big men to throw at Randle.
Randle would matchup with old teammate Isaiah Hartenstein, as well as Chet Holmgren and Jaylen Williams, among other potential stoppers.
