The Timberwolves Need Julius Randle to Snap Out of His Recent Funk

In the Timberwolves' final game before the All-Star break, Julius Randle erupted for 41 points on 14-on-24 shooting in a win over the Blazers. It was perhaps the best game he's played in two seasons with Minnesota, and there was a real case that he was snubbed for what would've been his fourth career All-Star selection.

In four games since the break, Randle has scored 48 total points on 15-of-44 shooting. He reached a new low point on Thursday night, when he went 1 for 10 from the floor and put up just 4 points in the Wolves' sloppy win over the Clippers. That's his lowest single-game point total in nearly three full years. 48 points are the fewest Randle has scored in a four-game span since 2019.

One reason why Anthony Edwards may have felt compelled to take so many shots down the stretch of Thursday's game — an approach head coach Chris Finch didn't necessarily agree with — was that Randle simply had nothing going as a scorer all night. Edwards taking matters into his own hands in clutch time has worked out more often than not this season, but for the Timberwolves to be at their best, they need their No. 2 option to snap out of his recent funk and get back to producing.

Randle's two seasons with the Wolves have been a bit of a rollercoaster. When he's playing at his best, like he did in the first two rounds of last season's playoffs, it's easy to see why he's made two All-NBA teams in his career. He's a bull of an interior scorer whose turnaround jumpers from short midrange look automatic at times. He also leads the Timberwolves in assists and has recorded three triple-doubles this season, tied for the second-most in a season in franchise history.

At the same time, Randle can also be a highly frustrating and polarizing player for a number of reasons. Offensively, the ball sometimes sticks when it gets to him (which is also the case with Edwards, who justifies it with his elite scoring). Randle continues to take close to five threes a night despite the fact that he's made 70 of 237 (29.5 percent) since the first eight games of this season. Defensively, the inconsistency of his effort level can be glaring. Neither he nor Edwards competes as hard as the Wolves need them to on that end of the floor.

With 22 games remaining in the regular season, the Wolves are going to need a lot from Randle. Edwards holds the keys, but he won't be able to lead Minnesota on another deep playoff run by himself. And if this season ends in disappointment for the Timberwolves, Tim Connelly may need to think long and hard this summer about whether or not Randle should remain Edwards' second option moving forward.