Julius Randle has cooled off throughout February after playing like an All-Star in the first half. He wasn’t an effective scorer, he committed careless turnovers, and he had moments defensively where he just looked disengaged.
Randle’s performance on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers was his worst game in three years, per ESPN. He scored just four points in 32 minutes.
He wasn’t the Randle that the Minnesota Timberwolves needed as one of Chris Finch’s primary options next to Anthony Edwards.
Randle, 31, signed a three-year, $100 million deal with the Wolves. Re-signing him was a priority after his contributions in Minnesota’s run to a second consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance. Although he struggled against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randle was a mismatch nightmare in the two prior series against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
This year hasn’t been all bad for Randle. He started the season hot, averaging 26.6 points per game in October. But his scoring has taken a hit since then, with his second-highest month coming in January, when he averaged 22.3 points.
As for February, Randle averaged 18.4 points, but his productivity fell short of expectations. He was the least efficient player in Minnesota’s eight-man rotation with a field goal efficiency of 43.8%. Even worse, Randle averaged 22.7% from three-point range on four attempts per game.
Randle also hasn’t been great defensively, either. He had the second-worst defensive rating in the Wolves rotation in February and the worst in January. Post All-Star break has been better, but overall, it wasn’t a great month for the 12th-year forward.
Randle’s poor play has led the Wolves to insert Naz Reid into the starting lineup in key moments of the game. While Finch typically goes back to Randle to finish games, it shows what Finch hasn’t been getting from a player he has relied upon since coming over from the New York Knicks last season.
But there are ways that Randle can maintain effectiveness as he works to find himself again. Sunday’s win against Denver showed exactly that.
Good drive from Julius Randle.
They look to set up the Zoom action for Anthony Edwards out of the left corner, but attack the flat-footed Nikola Jokic and draws the foul.
So far in my watch, it has been a pretty brutal showing defensively from Jokic. pic.twitter.com/Tj9pg3SzH6
— Jonah (@Huncho_Jman) March 2, 2026
If you look at the box score, Randle finished the game with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists – nearly a triple-double. But beyond that, he competed with a mixture of discipline and aggression that the Wolves sorely needed if they were to leave Ball Arena victorious.
Nikola Jokić was unstoppable early on against Minnesota – nothing new for the three-time MVP. History repeated itself as Rudy Gobert couldn’t contain The Joker.
“We tried to mix it up on (Jokić),” Finch said. “I’m not sure any defense looked that much different than the rest.”
Finch credited his team for battling Jokić, and Randle did the same when tasked with guarding him.
Randle made things tough – getting in Jokić’s airspace and forcing stops for the Wolves. Those stops fueled transition opportunities, during which Minnesota feasted all day long. Randle finished the game with just two personal fouls, which is no small feat given the array of moves Jokić has to throw at defenders.
Randle also took advantage of the matchup. At the end of the third quarter, Randle got past Jokić with a pump fake and finished a layup in which he was fouled — one of multiple isolation baskets he scored on The Joker.
But that and-one conversion was huge. It gave the Wolves some momentum and breathing room against the Denver Nuggets as they looked to erase the deficit.
In clutch time, Randle entered the game for Reid with just under four minutes remaining. He immediately made his presence felt with a strong layup inside off an assist from Gobert. Minutes later, he forced Jokić into a tough shot, and the Wolves got out in transition and scored – essentially sealing the win.
It was a massive game for the Wolves given the circumstances. Denver and the Wolves entered Sunday’s game with identical records. However, Minnesota was 0-3 against the Nuggets, with this game being the final regular-season encounter between the Northwest Division rivals.
And with how tight the Western Conference is, every game matters that much more.
With Randle being as effective as he was guarding Jokić, similar to how he had success guarding Victor Wembanyama earlier in the season, the Wolves have the option to use Gobert as a roamer – similar to how they used him when Karl-Anthony Towns was in Minnesota.
The three big Randle defensive possessions vs. Wemby in the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/kp5axAs2DD
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 12, 2026
The offense will come for Randle. He’s too talented for the inefficiency to last. But what you can bring every night, regardless of your momentum coming into the game, is intensity. Others can pick up the scoring. That’s how Randle can maintain effectiveness as he goes through his overall productivity slump.
It’s only a matter of time before he’s back playing bully ball. He had his doubters in New York, and he’s had his fair share in Minnesota, but he has shown that he can be a primary contributor to winning basketball.
It’s like the saying goes – tough times don’t last, tough people do. As for Randle, well, he’s as tough as they come. Finch will be hoping the veteran embodies that approach down the stretch as a crucial point in the season awaits.