Julius Randle had an impressive preseason in his first few games in a Brooklyn Nets uniform, potentially shifting the team's expectations as the season begins.
Randle is several seasons removed from his last All-Star Game appearance, but if he can get his numbers back up to what they were during his time with the New York Knicks and help the Nets win a boatload of games, there could be considerable room for him to appear in the midseason festivities for a fourth time.
Nonetheless, it's clear that the Nets are looking to Randle as the unquestioned leader of their team and the player they're going to run their offense through.
Randle should run a ton of pick-and-roll and screening actions with Michael Porter Jr., which looked fairly smooth in their early parts as teammates.
Porter has talked openly about his desire to be one of the most effective players off the ball, which should make this pairing relatively frictionless.
But the Nets are going to want to see their biggest offseason acquisition set the tone the second he steps onto the floor in the Black & White for the first time during the regular season, given his knack for getting downhill and putting pressure on the rim.
Wednesday night's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets will provide Randle exactly the right opportunity for him to make a positive impression with the team on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge and perhaps start their own quest back to respectability.
The Hornets don't currently project to be one of the strongest rim-protecting teams in the NBA, which should open up driving and cutting lanes for each Nets player to exploit.
That'll be particularly in Randle's wheelhouse, as he can use his big, bulky frame to bully interior defenders and his playmaking chops to set his teammates up for clean looks.
Aside from his skill set, it'll be important for Randle to take over as the emotional leader of his team by holding each and every one of his teammates accountable but also being a shoulder for them to lean on during the highs and lows of a season.
Change may not happen for this group overnight, but the vibe in the locker room should be considerably better than last season with more veteran leadership and talent their to help guide a young group through some of the rigors of an NBA schedule.
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