Julius Randle's rookie season is over after just 14 minutes. The Los Angeles Lakers forward will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 NBA campaign after suffering a broken right tibia in Tuesday night's 108-90 loss to the Houston Rockets, the team announced:
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times initially reported the news:
Randle, 19, underwent surgery Wednesday morning to repair the damage. The Lakers were unable to provide a timetable for Randle's return until after doctors performed the procedure, though ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reported the team feared a four- to six-month absence.
The seventh overall pick in June's draft, Randle was injured late in the fourth quarter when his leg buckled on a shot attempt. The game was delayed several minutes as the Lakers training staff attended to him, placing a stabilizing air cast on his leg. Multiple teammates then carried and placed Randle onto a stretcher as others watched on.
Lakers coach Byron Scott had difficulty masking his frustration following the game, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com:
It is heartbreaking, because I saw him all summer. I saw the work that he was putting in. I saw the progression that he was making, the steps that he was taking to get better. And his first game, he goes down. I don't think anybody in that locker room is happy about the way we played, but we're even more saddened about the fact that we lost one of our young guys.
Randle, who entered the NBA draft after one season at Kentucky, had two points on 1-of-3 shooting in his limited playing time. He and Ed Davis were consigned to splitting bench duty behind starter Carlos Boozer, who was acquired by the Lakers this offseason.
While his early deployment seemed curious, the Lakers had big plans for Randle in 2014-15. Heading straight for a second consecutive harrowing campaign, La...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
