Washington Wizards: Who is Chasson Randle?

As of the deadline on January 7th, Chasson Randle’s contract with the Washington Wizards became fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.

This fact, accompanied by John Wall’s absence for the remainder of the season, means fans should expect Randle to become a familiar face in the lineup. The 26-year-old journeyman is seemingly going to back up Tomas Satoransky at the point guard spot for the playoff push moving towards the end of the year.

Who is Chasson Randle?

Now that his role with the team has been defined, it’s time to answer the question that’s probably on the mind of a lot of fans: Who is this guy and where did he come from? Randle hails from Rock Island, Illinois, where he won a state title and was named Co- Mr. Basketball his during his senior year of high school. His collegiate career at Stanford was a well-decorated one. Randle collected two First-team All Pac-12 nods and an NIT Championship in which he was named the tournament’s MVP. After leading the Cardinals with 24 points in a semi-final victory against Old Dominion, and 25 points against Miami in an OT victory in the final, Randle graduated as Stanford’s all-time leading scorer.

Finding a Home with the Wizards

His professional career has not been quite as illustrious. Since going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, Randle has bounced around from the Czech Republic, to the D-League, and all the way to Spain before landing with the Wizards. He’s had a few brief stints in the NBA but has not seen significant playing time until this season in Washington.

Since rejoining the team, Randle has provided a spark off the bench for the second unit. Over the last 10 games, he’s averaged 16.1 minutes per game and 6.2 points per game while shooting almost 44% from the field. This stint included a 20-point career-high against the Chicago Bulls. These may not be jaw-dropping numbers, but any production off the bench is welcome after how dismal the bench scoring has been the past few seasons.

With Wall slated to miss time in the 2019-2020 season as well, Randle has a huge opportunity over the next 24 games. His defensive intensity and offensive efficiency have been a great addition to the team. If he can sustain this current level of play, I foresee him being a staple in the lineup for the upcoming season as well.