LOS ANGELES – Julius Randle cocked his head to the right, then the left, dodging with a hearty smile the venom spewing from Sacramento Kings All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins confronted Randle at the end of a Los Angeles Lakers’ win last month with a chest bump and a few choice words. Randle’s teammates gathered around to serve as peacekeepers or out of curiosity for an odd Kentucky alum altercation. Through it all, Randle remained calm, stood firm and responded to Cousins with that grin and a fair amount of trash talk of his own.

“I don’t back down from anybody,” Randle, 22, told The Vertical about his reaction to what Cousins called “some friendly UK love” last month. “Cous is my boy, though. But in the heat of the battle, I don’t care who it is. From night to night, I’m going to battle.”

In the final years of Kobe Bryant’s 20-year run in Los Angeles, the Lakers were about as threatening as a box full of puppies as they racked up losses and lottery picks. But in the post-Kobe era, a franchise not disposed to rebuilding or underdog status is taking on a different personality. Attitude is boiling over in myriad ways – from the rebirth of Nick Young’s swag, the ice water in D’Angelo Russell’s veins, the torrent of Lou Williams scoring barrages, the promise of Brandon Ingram’s versatility, and especially the rugged contributions of Randle.

“It’s about me bringing that edge, that tenacity. That fire,” Randle told The Vertical.

The first piece in this unusual, draft-induced roster reboot for the Lakers, Randle lost practically his entire first season to a leg injury, then spent his second season trying to overpower everything in his path with direct, and often clumsy, beelines to the basket. But Cousins, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love and Karl-Anthony Towns are the only active players to record the same number of double-doubles through their first 100 games (39) as Randle. And now Randle, averaging 13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists, is showing he has more to offer as a playmaker. He has already tripled the number of games with at least five assists from last season (six games to two) and recorded a triple-double.

“I’m just trying to be as versatile as I can be. Try to make the game easier for me. Let things come to me. Obviously work on my skill set and just learn the game better,” Randle told The Vertical. “I think it’s important for me to bring it every night. It’s just about being consistent with it.”

The third year has indeed been the charm for several members of a 2014 draft class that arrived among considerable hype but has been slow to launch, outside of Andrew Wiggins, for several reasons. After a two-year injury delay, Joel Embiid, the third pick that year, is the Rookie of he Year frontrunner with his refusal to let a minute restriction limit his dominance. Jabari Parker, the second overall pick who had most of his rookie year lost to a knee injury, is coming into his own in Milwaukee. And now Randle, the seventh pick, is piling up double-doubles in what he considers his true sophomore campaign.

Coach Luke Walton is pushing Randle to be great. (AP) More

“I had a whole year off, trying to get my rhythm and at the same time trying to learn the NBA game. It was difficult. But it was valuable, very valuable for me,” Randle told The Vertical. “Last year was kind of like my rookie year, but it’s just maturity, getting playing experience and learning the game and day by day getting better. It’s been great. Obviously, it’s still a learning process. Trying to be a lot more consistent and building off of it.”

The Lakers might not have any potential superstars in the high draft picks accumulated over the years, but coach Luke Walton is taking special measures to squeeze out their talents. Walton has challenged Randle to do more than just occasionally barge on the scene but to become a reliable force.

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