Julius Randle has been under fire for much of this season. That was easy to see coming.

Randle was the immediate replacement for Karl-Anthony Towns, a pillar of the Timberwolves’ organization through good times and bad. Towns played a major role in the franchise’s resurrection, guiding Minnesota to a Western Conference Finals appearance in the spring.

His departure would never be popular among large segments of the fan base.

Thus, neither would Randle’s arrival.

Couple the circumstance with Randle’s playing style — which is often aesthetically unappealing and not necessarily the best fit alongside many of his new teammates — and he was always going to be an easy target for ire.

You can’t scroll through a social media application without seeing a Wolves supporter or mere observer suggest the forward should be traded or, at the very least, removed from the starting lineup.

Never mind that Randle is tied with Anthony Edwards for the team’s second-best net rating, trailing only Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Minnesota outscores opponents by 2.5 points per 100 possessions when Randle is on the floor.

He sports the worst defensive rating among rotation players, but also the best offensive rating.

It just doesn’t feel that way when you watch the Wolves. Because the fit is so clunky, Randle’s missteps — whether they be bad offensive possessions or defensive lapses — are loud.

As a whole, the Wolves have taken a step back this season. They lack synergy. It’s easy to deem a newcomer such as Randle to be the cause — and that may well prove to be a correct conclusion.

But an all-star under attack has found a shield in the form of his head coach. Chris Finch has consistently lauded Randle’s abilities and efforts this season. He dove deeper into the subject when speaking to reporters Tuesday after the team’s win over New Orleans.

Randle didn’t close Monday’s win over the Clippers but was on the floor in the final minutes as Minnesota hung on to beat the Pelicans.

Asked why he finished with the “old” starting lineup to end the game, Finch immediately pointed out that the Wolves won Randle’s minutes in New Orleans by 21 points.

Finch said he has “a lot” of respect and admiration for Randle, who he first coached years ago when the two were together in New Orleans.

He noted Randle’s shot attempts are down compared to the forward’s previous campaigns but his efficiency is up, even as his responsibilities have fluctuated.

“We’ve asked him to do different things at different times as our team ebbed and flowed,” Finch told reporters. “ ‘Hey, we need you to score more. Hey, we need you to pass more. Hey, we need you to create more offense. We need you to handle more. Pick up the pace for us.’ He’s tried to respond to it all.”

At least to the best of his ability. Randle certainly has warts. But Finch appreciates the forward’s honest effort to try to make this situation work.

“I’m always conscious we’re asking him to do a lot of things, and maybe he’s not able to settle into his own rhythm sometimes,” Finch told reporters. “But he’s been a trouper. He’s guarded a lot, taken a lot of really good matchups for us, and (guarding Zion Williamson in New Orleans) was a good example of that.”

Finch has shown a good sense for managing personalities during his time in Minnesota.

Whether it’s coaching Anthony Edwards hard, endlessly touting the sacrifice Towns made after the Wolves traded for Rudy Gobert, or demonstrating his loyalty to Kyle Anderson a amid the forward’s struggles last season, the coach seems to have a good bead on what his players need from him.

Randle said his relationship with Finch has been “really important” during this transition.

“I love Finch. I’ve said it from the beginning: It’s tough figuring everything out on the fly. This team had a lot of success last year, and I just want to add to it. So, it’s tough,” Randle said. “But the way Finch has had my back from Day 1, and really just instilled confidence and believed in me since I got here, it means everything.

“I love Finch. I’m going to continue to play my heart out for him and give everything I’ve got.”