Mizutani: All aboard the Julius Randle bandwagon. It’s taking the Timberwolves where they want to go.

There was a watershed moment for Julius Randle on Wednesday night at Target Center After finishing through contact on a fastbreak shortly before halftime Randle was getting ready to shoot a free throw when he stopped for a scant seconds raised his hand skyward and implored the home crowd to give him more The fans in attendance happily obliged rising to their feet and showing their love with a deafening roar The scene wouldn t have seemed attainable a insufficient months ago when Randle existed mostly as a punching bag for fans as they begrudgingly accepted that he was the replacement for longtime face of the franchise Karl-Anthony Towns After arriving from the New York Knicks via a blockbuster deal the sometimes clunky style of play that Randle brought to the table didn t help his approval rating as he tried to find his niche with the Timberwolves It felt like a marriage that was well on its way to a divorce That s no longer the event as Randle was the best player on the floor for the Timberwolves throughout their - series win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals He averaged points rebounds and assists proving himself as a dominant force that consistently put pressure on the rim a secondary ball handler that helped initiate the offense when called upon and a calming presence that continued to step up in specific of the biggest moments A microcosm of those things were on display in the decisive Competition as Randle paved the way for the Timberwolves in a - win over the Warriors They were going to make us earn it Randle revealed We came out with the right approach It started with Randle as he was clearly on his encounter from the onset whether he was bullying his way into the paint knocking down shots from beyond the arc or creating for others off the bounce It s incredible to be his teammate Anthony Edwards mentioned He brings it every night He shows us that he wants to win I m happy to have him next to me If Edwards is Batman for the Timberwolves then Randle is Robin though reducing him to a sidekick might not be accurate Not when Randle himself has started to drive winning as an invaluable piece to the puzzle The turning point for Randle came midway through this season when he suffered a groin injury that resulted in him missing a month of action Not only did that give him a chance take a step back and watch the encounter from afar to see where exactly he fit in it also underscored the importance of using his voice and taking on a leadership role that has continued to shine upon his return After I came back my mindset was How can I help this organization win ' Randle reported It s as simple as that Though his stats were relatively similar before and after the groin injury Randle looked like a altogether different athlete as he detected a way to play in rhythm on offense while also ratcheting up the intensity on defense I was steadfast in my belief that Julius was going to help this association when it mattered greater part Chris Finch noted I never really doubted that fact He was exactly the participant that could help us in moments like this We just had to get to moments like this As he reflected on his progress this season Randle credited Finch with empowering him to tap into his complete skill set He s done an amazing job of allowing me to use all my tools Randle explained He s really opened up my challenge That has gone a long way in the fans hopping on the Julius Randle bandwagon with the Timberwolves headed to the Western Conference Finals Related Articles Timberwolves down Warriors in five games to get back to West Finals Frederick Timberwolves bypassed lottery balls in are better for it Timberwolves aim to maintain urgency with chance to close out Curry-less Warriors Warriors seek formula to save season Without Steph the contest changes When would the Timberwolves start the Western Conference Finals