Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: D’Angelo Russell Says Julius Randle is a ‘Beast’

A lot of great things will be expected of Julius Randle this season.

The 20-year-old power forward, who missed out on his rookie season due to a broken leg, has been working very hard during the offseason and believes that he can make an impact on the team.

"I feel amazing," Randle said. "I feel 100 times better than I did last year."

Randle recently stated that he could record a double-double this season, which teammate D'Angelo Russell agrees is possible.

"That dude is a matchup problem," Russell, the 2015 round one draft pick, said during media day at the team's practice facility. "A walking double-double. I can't speak highly enough about him. He's beast, honestly."

Russell, along with Randle, will have a shot at making it onto the team's starting five rotation. Randle was not a starter last season.

The 19-year-old rookie, who has been working hard this summer, hopes that his game will peak at the right moment.

"I've been working hard. If it does, I hope it's not a blur to me. I want it to be, whenever I start to peak out, I want it to be at the right time," Russell said. "And like I said I've been working, so whenever it happens I'll definitely be ready for it."

Russell also plans on learning a lot from Lakers star and one of the best players of all time, Kobe Bryant. According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Russell requested for a locker right next to Bryant.

"I don't know how much longer he's going to be around," said Russell. "So to have the opportunity to pick his brain a little bit every day, I don't have to make it weird by walking to his locker. I'll just look to my right and there he is."

Bryant, who has also been giving advice to Randle, talked about what he will want to do for the younger players on the team.

"He [Russell] has a good head on his shoulders. My responsibility is going to help him just not to lose sight of what's most important, which is the game," Bryant, 37, said.

Head coach Byron Scott has not revealed who his starters will be this season.