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Trading Places, Part 2: Zach Randolph in the Big Apple
Erick BlascoJul 15, 2007
While the brightest stars in college basketball were being drafted on June 28th, a handful of big NBA names were on the move across the country. New York
Zach Randolph brings plenty of possibility—and plenty of uncertainty to the Knicks.
Of the few absolutes attached to Randolph, three things are for sure:
First, despite Randolph's reliance on skills rather than athleticism to score, he's adept at sealing off defenders and getting prime post position around the basket.
Second, Randolph always has been—and always will be—a dog on defense.
And third, when he's hanging out with the wrong cast of characters, Randolph and trouble are never far apart.
That's where the absolutes turn into riddles.
Aside from a visit to a strip club while on bereavement leave, Randolph's penchant for trouble disappeared when the rest of the "Jail Blazers" were weeded off Portland's roster. If he isn't surrounded by thugs and clowns, he won't be able to poison a clubhouse all by himself.
Stephon Marbury may be surly at times, but the Knicks don't have enough knuckleheads to tempt Randolph into trouble. Malik Rose, Quentin Richardson, and David Lee are high-character teammates, and only the juvenile Nate Robinson—who's prone to throwing spitballs on bus rides—stands out as an obvious bad influence.
Still, with all the potential hot spots in New York, Z-Bo will struggle to stay on the up-and-up...and if he can't, his on-court contributions won t mean a thing for the Knicks.
Speaking of on-court contributions, it's not clear exactly how Randolph fits into New York's scheme.
He's great down low, but the post is reserved for Eddy Curry. Can Randolph play on one box with Curry on the other? Double-teamers wouldn't have to go very far with the two big men so close together.
Randolph has a penchant for getting good position underneath, but Curry is an awful passer. On the flipside, Randolph is an adequate passer, but Curry doesn't have the off-ball skills to make himself a viable target.
As an alternative, Randolph can play from the high post—where Curry will be able to find him easily in the event of a double-team. Expect a Curry low post/Randolph high post set to be the Knicks' offensive base.
With Curry as the focal point and Marbury as the distributor, Randolph will be no better than a second option on offense. Factor in Jamal Crawford's high-volume scoring and you've got to wonder whether the lack of touches will turn the new Knick into a malcontent.
In any event, Curry's poor passing and decision-making skills create a real risk for offensive stagnation in New York. Marbury and Randolph might work in pick-and-roll situations but where does that leave Curry, who can't do anything without the ball? And where does David Lee fit into the picture?
What's certain is that Randolph is a better player than Channing Frye, and that the Knicks did well to jettison Steve Francis. New York also received a classic pass-first point guard in Dan Dickau, who will compete with Mardy Collins for the backup spot, and picked up a useful emergency scorer in Fred Jones.
Can the Knicks make the playoffs with their new roster? Absolutely. But the same thing could have been said each of the last two seasons.
The sad fact remains that New York took on another hefty long-term contract and acquired another player who needs the ball to be productive. Even worse, the Knicks are still a team whose whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Unless some key players evolve, expect the Knicks to make the playoffs and lose in the first round. Given their talent—and the money invested in the team that isn't much of an accomplishment.
Zach Randolph brings plenty of possibility—and plenty of uncertainty to the Knicks.
Of the few absolutes attached to Randolph, three things are for sure:
First, despite Randolph's reliance on skills rather than athleticism to score, he's adept at sealing off defenders and getting prime post position around the basket.
Second, Randolph always has been—and always will be—a dog on defense.
And third, when he's hanging out with the wrong cast of characters, Randolph and trouble are never far apart.
That's where the absolutes turn into riddles.
Aside from a visit to a strip club while on bereavement leave, Randolph's penchant for trouble disappeared when the rest of the "Jail Blazers" were weeded off Portland's roster. If he isn't surrounded by thugs and clowns, he won't be able to poison a clubhouse all by himself.
Stephon Marbury may be surly at times, but the Knicks don't have enough knuckleheads to tempt Randolph into trouble. Malik Rose, Quentin Richardson, and David Lee are high-character teammates, and only the juvenile Nate Robinson—who's prone to throwing spitballs on bus rides—stands out as an obvious bad influence.
Still, with all the potential hot spots in New York, Z-Bo will struggle to stay on the up-and-up...and if he can't, his on-court contributions won t mean a thing for the Knicks.
Speaking of on-court contributions, it's not clear exactly how Randolph fits into New York's scheme.
He's great down low, but the post is reserved for Eddy Curry. Can Randolph play on one box with Curry on the other? Double-teamers wouldn't have to go very far with the two big men so close together.
Randolph has a penchant for getting good position underneath, but Curry is an awful passer. On the flipside, Randolph is an adequate passer, but Curry doesn't have the off-ball skills to make himself a viable target.
As an alternative, Randolph can play from the high post—where Curry will be able to find him easily in the event of a double-team. Expect a Curry low post/Randolph high post set to be the Knicks' offensive base.
With Curry as the focal point and Marbury as the distributor, Randolph will be no better than a second option on offense. Factor in Jamal Crawford's high-volume scoring and you've got to wonder whether the lack of touches will turn the new Knick into a malcontent.
In any event, Curry's poor passing and decision-making skills create a real risk for offensive stagnation in New York. Marbury and Randolph might work in pick-and-roll situations but where does that leave Curry, who can't do anything without the ball? And where does David Lee fit into the picture?
What's certain is that Randolph is a better player than Channing Frye, and that the Knicks did well to jettison Steve Francis. New York also received a classic pass-first point guard in Dan Dickau, who will compete with Mardy Collins for the backup spot, and picked up a useful emergency scorer in Fred Jones.
Can the Knicks make the playoffs with their new roster? Absolutely. But the same thing could have been said each of the last two seasons.
The sad fact remains that New York took on another hefty long-term contract and acquired another player who needs the ball to be productive. Even worse, the Knicks are still a team whose whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Unless some key players evolve, expect the Knicks to make the playoffs and lose in the first round. Given their talent—and the money invested in the team that isn't much of an accomplishment.
Portland
In trading Zach Randolph to New York, the Blazers acquired two players: Channing Frye, a soft big man who will hit 18-footers with great regularity when his confidence is high but contribute little else; and Steve Francis, who has already been bought out.
Portland pulled the trigger less with the intent of bringing in talent and more with the intent of shipping out trouble. The Blazers didn't want Randolph to so much as say hello to Greg Oden...and moved him the first chance they got.
With Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge already in the mix, Frye will be little more than a bit player in Portland. Still, his soft shooting touch may come in handy when the Blazers offense is struggling—or when Oden and Aldridge are blanketed by stalwart post defenders.
Francis' contract is two years shorter than Randolph's and includes the same amount of money. The Blazers are willing to sacrifice their cap figure for the next two years while their kids develop...a strategy which will pay dividends should Portland choose to re-sign their homegrown talent and/or go after a big-name free agent down the road.
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What If This ECF Team Lands Giannis 👀
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