Julius Randle reveals why LaMarcus Aldridge was the biggest surprise for him when he got to the league: 'He knew how to get a bucket'

Julius Randle arrived in the NBA during a time when big men still thrived in the low post. While the three-point revolution was already underway, power forwards and centers still held prominence in a team's offensive strategy. As a young rookie coming into the league from Kentucky, the left-handed forward had his fair share of challenges when facing established veterans inside the shaded lane.

But during his rookie season, there was one player in particular who Randle had trouble figuring out: LaMarcus Aldridge.

Unassuming yet effective

Randle's rookie campaign was during the 2014-2015 season. At that time, Aldridge was already in his ninth season in the Association and had already established himself as one of the best power forwards in the game. With four All-Star and three All-NBA Team berths, the 6'11" big man from Dallas, Texas, was a handful to deal with.

"He knew how to get a bucket, man. It was very simple, but he knew how to get buckets. He knew how to draw fouls," Randle said on the "Pardon My Take" podcast.

In his final season with the Portland Trailblazers, "LMA" averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds, finishing seventh in the MVP race and snagging a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. The Blazers also made it to the playoffs but lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

Julius recalled how difficult it was to keep LaMarcus from reaching his sweet spots. Once he got there, it was automatic. Whether it was a fadeaway jumper or a short hook, a bucket was all but guaranteed.

"So, it was like, he would get the ball on, was it that right block maybe or whatever it was, and he would go to work," he surmised.

Big men played like big men

While that era's big men sprinkled some versatility in their games, Randle remarked that, for the most part, they still played like traditional big men. They operated in the post, set screens, and rebounded; these were things he saw All-Stars like Aldridge, Marc and Pau Gasol, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins do during that time.

"He was, like, at the time when I came into the league where it was like the big men were, like, it was like real still, like, big men. Like, it was still two true... like, like, your power forward could be 7-foot, you know what I mean? So, it was like, it was still like that, and, like, you had, like, three out, two," the 6'9" forward stated.

While the evolution of basketball has brought to the fore the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, giants who are comfortable playing on the perimeter, Randle still remembers vividly how effective "LMA" was. 

He wasn't loud, nor did he send anyone reeling with a quick crossover. However, by the end of the night, there he was, having dropped 20 points and snagged 10 boards. Aldridge was a silent assassin who produced at an elite level.