Dude. It's Zach Randolph.
ESPN: Knicks suggest dealing Randolph to Memphis
OK, I get it. I do. I really do.
"Here, take Zach Randolph! Take this extremely talented player who just so happens to play at your weakest position! Nooooooo, we don't want anything back! You just take him!"
I get that. When your job is to improve your team, and you are offered a highly talented basketball player for essentially free, it's a tough one to turn down. And Zach Randolph really is highly talented.
But he's also Zach Randolph. And therein lies the problem.
For all of Zach's talents, his play has never been efficient, sensible, or highly profitable. Just by playing him, you lose an untold amount on defense, something which Randolph simply cannot do. And for all his versatility and skill as an offensive player, Zach has never had the sense or awareness to fit into an offense efficiently - Randolph is a career .465 shooter starting his offense from increasingly near the three point line, and with an intense aversion to passing. Bear in mind, this is a man once berated for selfishness by former teammate, Nick Van Exel. And Nick Van Exel knows a thing or two about selfishness.
The problem is exacerbated when looking at Memphis's other big men. Out of Hamed Haddadi, Hakim Warrick, Darrell Arthur, Marc Gasol and Antoine Walker, who represents a good pairing for Zach? Who is the weakside shotblocker to counteract Zach's complete failure in that area? There's a bit there, mainly coming from Gasol, but there's not much. Additionally, if Marc Gasol is to start at centre - and it looks like he has to - then how do you pair him and Randolph on offense? Pairing Randolph with a man who plays within 3 feet of the rim at all times (Eddy Curry) went painfully badly last season, so how much different will it be with Gasol? How does Zach fit?
Take a wider look at the roster, and the same applies. The Memphis roster is a symposium of good young talent and veterans that they're stuck with. In Rudy Gay and Orange Juice Mayonnaise (readers note: that joke wasn't funny, nor mine), the Grizzlies have two talented young scorers, and a roster rounded out with complimentary athleticism, defensive versatility and scoring talent. However, outside shooting remains a concern, and there remains a big hole at power forward. There's also a big rebounding hole on a team that was outrebounded by 2.9 boards a game last year, good for only 25th in the league.
Now Zach Randolph is a power forward all right, and he's constantly armed with a good rebounding rate. But if anyone expects him to come in and be primarily a rebounder, in the role that David Lee refused to fill, then they're either eternally optimistic, or privy to some blackmail that the rest of us aren't. No one has been able to convince Zach Randolph that his future lies in the post for a while now, and a year under the stewardship of Isiah Thomas is not good news for any player who struggles to understand their limitations.
The current reported trade talk sees Memphis giving New York nothing more than Marko Jaric and Darko Milicic. That is something, at least. Milicic is a player who has failed to pan out for three teams, and Marko is someone Memphis didn't want in the first place. The two players combine to earn $35,860,000 over the next three years, and they represent the two worst contracts that the Grizzlies have. (Readers note: Antoine Walker's contract is longer and bigger, but it's also fully unguaranteed beyond this year. And that's why Memphis wanted it in the first place. Same with Greg Buckner, sort of.) The next three years of Zach Randolph will pay him $48 million, and the cap hold for the first two years will be only a minor increase over what Darko and Marko currently take up. The only significant cap hit comes in the 2010/11 season, where Randolph will earn $17,333,333 to Jaric's $7,625,000, with Milicic already expired. But, as the Grizzlies have only 5 players under contract at that time, that isn't relevant of right now. The cost of obtaining Randolph is as low as it can be: two mostly insignificant bench players, who also have the franchise's two largest contracts.
But is that minimal price still too much for Zach Randolph?
It's a high risk move, clearly. But it's only a high reward move if the Zach Randolph of 2006/07 turns up, the one who put up a flawed but sexy 24 points and 10 rebounds a game. The one who wasn't as bad as usual on defense. The one who stayed largely in the post. The one who didn't complain too much. The one who was in the best shape of his life. The one who produced. To make this trade worthwhile, Memphis needs that Randolph back. But even after such a career best season, Portland were willing to trade him for nothing. Portland would rather pay Steve Francis $30 million to not turn up,rather than have even the good version of Randolph back. Warning sirens aplenty. If they get this Zach Randolph back, then they will be trading for the highest paid non-All Star of all time, and making a $48 million investment in a painful player with a painful contract and a temperamental history.
Risky. Too risky.
Will we ever see the better Randolph again? I don't know the answer, and I don't know about this trade. I get it, but......dude.
It's Zach Randolph.
The Knicks have a trade proposal on the table with the Memphis Grizzlies that would see Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric dealt to New York in exchange for Zach Randolph.
OK, I get it. I do. I really do.
"Here, take Zach Randolph! Take this extremely talented player who just so happens to play at your weakest position! Nooooooo, we don't want anything back! You just take him!"
I get that. When your job is to improve your team, and you are offered a highly talented basketball player for essentially free, it's a tough one to turn down. And Zach Randolph really is highly talented.
But he's also Zach Randolph. And therein lies the problem.
For all of Zach's talents, his play has never been efficient, sensible, or highly profitable. Just by playing him, you lose an untold amount on defense, something which Randolph simply cannot do. And for all his versatility and skill as an offensive player, Zach has never had the sense or awareness to fit into an offense efficiently - Randolph is a career .465 shooter starting his offense from increasingly near the three point line, and with an intense aversion to passing. Bear in mind, this is a man once berated for selfishness by former teammate, Nick Van Exel. And Nick Van Exel knows a thing or two about selfishness.
The problem is exacerbated when looking at Memphis's other big men. Out of Hamed Haddadi, Hakim Warrick, Darrell Arthur, Marc Gasol and Antoine Walker, who represents a good pairing for Zach? Who is the weakside shotblocker to counteract Zach's complete failure in that area? There's a bit there, mainly coming from Gasol, but there's not much. Additionally, if Marc Gasol is to start at centre - and it looks like he has to - then how do you pair him and Randolph on offense? Pairing Randolph with a man who plays within 3 feet of the rim at all times (Eddy Curry) went painfully badly last season, so how much different will it be with Gasol? How does Zach fit?
Take a wider look at the roster, and the same applies. The Memphis roster is a symposium of good young talent and veterans that they're stuck with. In Rudy Gay and Orange Juice Mayonnaise (readers note: that joke wasn't funny, nor mine), the Grizzlies have two talented young scorers, and a roster rounded out with complimentary athleticism, defensive versatility and scoring talent. However, outside shooting remains a concern, and there remains a big hole at power forward. There's also a big rebounding hole on a team that was outrebounded by 2.9 boards a game last year, good for only 25th in the league.
Now Zach Randolph is a power forward all right, and he's constantly armed with a good rebounding rate. But if anyone expects him to come in and be primarily a rebounder, in the role that David Lee refused to fill, then they're either eternally optimistic, or privy to some blackmail that the rest of us aren't. No one has been able to convince Zach Randolph that his future lies in the post for a while now, and a year under the stewardship of Isiah Thomas is not good news for any player who struggles to understand their limitations.
The current reported trade talk sees Memphis giving New York nothing more than Marko Jaric and Darko Milicic. That is something, at least. Milicic is a player who has failed to pan out for three teams, and Marko is someone Memphis didn't want in the first place. The two players combine to earn $35,860,000 over the next three years, and they represent the two worst contracts that the Grizzlies have. (Readers note: Antoine Walker's contract is longer and bigger, but it's also fully unguaranteed beyond this year. And that's why Memphis wanted it in the first place. Same with Greg Buckner, sort of.) The next three years of Zach Randolph will pay him $48 million, and the cap hold for the first two years will be only a minor increase over what Darko and Marko currently take up. The only significant cap hit comes in the 2010/11 season, where Randolph will earn $17,333,333 to Jaric's $7,625,000, with Milicic already expired. But, as the Grizzlies have only 5 players under contract at that time, that isn't relevant of right now. The cost of obtaining Randolph is as low as it can be: two mostly insignificant bench players, who also have the franchise's two largest contracts.
But is that minimal price still too much for Zach Randolph?
It's a high risk move, clearly. But it's only a high reward move if the Zach Randolph of 2006/07 turns up, the one who put up a flawed but sexy 24 points and 10 rebounds a game. The one who wasn't as bad as usual on defense. The one who stayed largely in the post. The one who didn't complain too much. The one who was in the best shape of his life. The one who produced. To make this trade worthwhile, Memphis needs that Randolph back. But even after such a career best season, Portland were willing to trade him for nothing. Portland would rather pay Steve Francis $30 million to not turn up,rather than have even the good version of Randolph back. Warning sirens aplenty. If they get this Zach Randolph back, then they will be trading for the highest paid non-All Star of all time, and making a $48 million investment in a painful player with a painful contract and a temperamental history.
Risky. Too risky.
Will we ever see the better Randolph again? I don't know the answer, and I don't know about this trade. I get it, but......dude.
It's Zach Randolph.
Labels: Antoine Walker, Blazers, Darko Milicic, Darrell Arthur, David Lee, Eddy Curry, Grizzlies, Hakim Warrick, Hamed Haddadi, Marc Gasol, Marko Jaric, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Steve Francis, Zach Randolph
posted by Sham at
12:26 AM
11 Comments:
Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol away for cap space and now they are trading their cap space for Zach Randolph who is much more overpaid than Gasol. Not to mention he's clearly inferior as a player.
And I thought they were rebuilding with OJ Mayo as the centerpiece.
Grizz need this type of move simply because no one will want to go to Memphis cap or no cap, even David Lee dared to tell them he would never sign with them, that's David role-player Lee, unless Memphis can get something good out of a crazy move like this caproom is useless
They are not trading cap space for Randolph. The cap hit is only a slight amount bigger this year and next with Randolph over Marko and Darko. As things stand, they'll still have $20 mil in cap space next year.
By cap space, I meant expirings. They traded Gasol for an expiring and now they are trading some expiring for Randoloph.
Gasol out + Randolph in = Bad move.
@bw, I don't quite agree with your "no one will want to go to Memphis cap or no cap, even David Lee dared to tell them he would never sign with them, that's David role-player Lee." analysis.
There are plenty of good FAs in 2010, some of them will ultimately sign if offered really good money. They could get Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer, for example.
They're giving out the worst salaries that the can for Randolph. Jaric expires at the same time, and Darko is only a year earlier. They're taking on a bit of a cap hit, but it's not as bad as some people like to make out. And they're trying to get a first round pick as sweetener to make up for the hit, just like the Clippers were.
Damn I had a long post that didn't went through, LOL, anyways @ Anonymous: As of now it looks like several teams will have caproom in 2010 not to mention the players can always just get more money staying where they are, Memphis would have a crapshot chance at getting any of the bigger names and would probably overpay for a middle of the pack guy, the Grizz were probably going to make their move next year anyways and they can do so even with Zach on the team, yeah he's not great but it's not like there's such a great market for the Darko/Marko dream team. If the Grizz can get the 1st then it's worth the risk IMO
i thought with the knicks zach played on the perimeter to accommodate eddy curry. since curry playing in the perimeter was not an option and you cannot have two morbidly obese players in the post, zach was the one to play in the perimeter. so it was by design and i think he'll go back to the post in memphis.
Zach has strayed of his own accord for years. And he and Curry did not play alongside each other much last year. The excuse doesn't rub - Zach's just like that, and has been since he developed a rudimentary jumpshot. All apart from that one year.
So why Did your eyes change colour? Crazy....
"It was a conversation I had with these guys a month ago," Walsh said. "We haven't talked recently. For some reason, it was in the Memphis press and everyone in New York acts like it's imminent."
Asked if a trade with the Grizzlies is still possible, Walsh said, "I can't say anything is over," but he said no proposal is on the table.
Per http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/sports/basketball/10knicks.html?ref=sports
Grizzly fans can sleep in peace now.
Best description of Zach I've ever seen. I watched him in Portland during those years and the offense just ground to a halt whenever he had the ball in his hands. Zach for Invisible $30 Mil Steve and Mr. Frye - best move ever.
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