Injuries are something every athlete dreads, especially when the stakes are high. But sometimes, these injuries can end up reshaping and redefining a player’s career. And for the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle, it made him a better player.

And after the game tonight, the entirety of the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ roster and their coach couldn’t help but gush over Randle. “He was incredible, man. Finding everybody on cuts, finding the open guy, time after time. Just pushing the pace…So we can’t ask for nothing better, man. So he’d been making the game a lot easier for me, so I appreciate you having him,” said Ant-Man as he sat beside Randle at the post-game presser.

The Timberwolves’ point guard, Mike Conley, added to Ant’s words, praising Randle’s physicality and ability to dictate the game. “His physicality, his demeanor, the way that he can control the pace, control the game, on both ends of the floor kinda gives us, some control. It gives us our ability to kinda settle into who we wanna be offensively, defensively. I mean, we can get sporadic at times, but having a guy that you can just get a ball to and post him up or just slow the game down, allow us to cut off of him and him make plays for everybody and make the game easy, it helps a lot,” said Conley.

And he’s spot-on. Randle was incredible for the team tonight. He did everything. From grabbing boards and dishing out dimes to racking up points, he was everywhere. His efforts culminated in him having a +14 on/off rating — the highest in tonight’s game. Yes, not even Ant-Man got a better rating despite putting up 36 points. Even head coach Chris Finch joined his locker room in heaping praises on Randle. The T-Wolves’ coach revealed exactly how Julius makes the T-Wolves better.

“It’s really what turned our season around was his playmaking, his decision making, playing through them in different spots of the floor. It took us a little while to figure that out. [But] I’ve always known he’s a really good playmaker…You know, so we always felt it would give us another guy in those moments to give the ball to. [Randle] does a great job of, you know, getting a foul or creating his own shot, and, obviously, we just talked about what he can do for others,” said Finch.

And the T-Wolves head coach is absolutely right. Randle’s been incredible for Minnesota since he joined. And it’s his elite ability to make the game easier for others, like Ant said, which has been the difference-maker for Minnesota. And Julius owes it all to an injury he suffered that caused him to rethink the game itself.

Julius Randle’s life-changing injury also changed the Timberwolves’ fortunes

Julius Randle suffered a groin injury earlier this season that sidelined him for a month. But this period ended up being about more than just recuperation. This month-long recovery forced him to look deeper within. As he introspected, he realized that his game was too selfish; he could be doing more for his team.

“When I got injured those few weeks, I was able to see what the team needed,” said Randle about his epiphany. And this was all he needed to become the best version of himself after he returned. He had truly ascended to become a bona fide threat in Minnesota’s arsenal. After the All-Star break, only Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have a higher player impact estimate among starters than Randle’s 12.7.

Being among elite company like this is a testament to Randle’s change. After all, Gobert is a 4x DPOY, while Ant is touted as the future of the NBA. On top of everything, Randle has tormented the Lakers and the Warriors this postseason. Whether it’s getting into the pick and roll with Conley or finding an open look off a double team, Randle makes the best decision for the team. And it’s this attitude that neither the Lakers nor the Dubs have been able to deal with so far.

All in all, Julius Randle’s change just shows that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. So far, he’s turned that into wins, earned respect from his peers, and delivered incredible performances. But can he keep up this insane run? Or will the Dubs find a way to keep him quiet?