Baxter Holmes, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Julius Randle gaining with this pain

HONOLULU -- Julius Randle missed it all so much, not just the game but all that comes with it, the hidden side effects that he might have neglected before -- but not after spending his rookie season sidelined by a broken right leg sustained in his NBA debut.

Something that the Los Angeles Lakers forward -- and the No. 7 overall draft pick in 2014 -- never knew that he’d miss?

Simply feeling sore.

“I forgot about that,” Randle said after the first of the Lakers’ two practices on their second day of training camp held here Wednesday. “Yeah, it’s cool. I’d rather be sore than on the sideline.”

The Lakers held two practices at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Stan Sheriff Center, their first two-a-day of training camp. But Randle enjoyed the grind. After being without basketball for so long, he wants as much as he can get.

“It’s true, especially after last year,” Randle said.

While Randle played with a minutes restriction during summer league in Las Vegas, he has no minutes restrictions during training camp, so he’s able to play without looking at the clock.

“It’s been good,” he said. “It’s been a year [since I’ve played]. It’s been amazing.”

Physically, Randle has transformed his body, losing about 18 pounds both through commitment to a diet (less carbs, fried food, sugars) and the weight room.

But Lakers coach Byron Scott notices another change in Randle.

“His confidence,” Scott said. “I think now he feels that he can definitely play at this level. Last year, I think he was guessing and wondering if he could, even though he didn’t play this year.

“Just sitting and watching and going through the process of watching all the games and the process of watching the rehab and then summer league and getting back on the court on a day-to-day basis, I think now he feels that he definitely belongs at this level.”

Randle credited his improved confidence to all the time he’s spent in the gym lately and to what he learned a year ago.

“Obviously I got a little bit of experience last year, so I kind of know how to prepare more,” he said.

But Randle is still an unknown commodity, in many ways. Even the Lakers don’t quite know what they have in him.

“I know enough, but I’m still not sure,” Scott said. “I’m still probably going to find out some things day to day. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what he can do, what he’s going to be able to accomplish. But I’m sure he’s probably going to show me some things that I didn’t know as well.”

For now, Randle is running well and impressing his teammates.

“He’s playing great right now. I’m really excited,” said Lakers forward Metta World Peace. “He’s playing really, really well right now. I’m looking forward to seeing him make progress.”

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