Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle is heading into a 2026-27 NBA season in which he has the chance to share the floor with a sharpshooting forward in Michael Porter Jr. Brooklyn put Porter in a position to be the primary scoring option for one of the youngest teams in the league, but after the Nets acquired Randle, he'll be able to get whatever shot he wants within the offense.
Randle, 31, is coming off a 2025-26 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 31.5% from behind the three-point line. For full context, Randle put up those numbers while playing next to stars in Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert so Brooklyn will present a different
look for him on both ends of the floor.
Under head coach Jordi Fernandez, the Nets will be trying to get the best shot possible while also playing hard on the defensive end of the floor, something that Randle can help with thanks to his toughness. With that being the case, here are three goals for Randle to strive for heading into his 13th training camp while being one of the leaders for such a young team:
Be A Ceiling-Raiser
Much of the talk surrounding Randle is that he can be a floor-raiser for the Nets, especially when playing alongside someone in Porter that can stretch opposing defenses thanks to his elite three-point shooting. However, Randle also has the chance to be more than just a floor-raiser if he and the rest of the team is able to beat the odds like some of the players have been saying so far this offseason.
Continue To Make Plays
While Randle is one of the better scorers and rebounders at his position, he is also an underrated playmaker, especially considering his passing ability within a 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame. Given that the Nets are still trying to develop the younger playmakers on the team in Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., Randle may have to assume the playmaking duties to begin the season and Brooklyn will need him at his best dishing the rock.
Improve Defensively
Throughout his career, Randle has been on the floor to provide scoring and passing for his team, no matter the personnel, and Brooklyn will likely ned the same from him, if not more. However, if Randle can make an impact on the team defensively, the Nets could not only win more than 20 games, but they could "shock the world" as players like Randle have said.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets 3 goals: Julius Randle has to prove he can be a ceiling-raiser
