The Anthony Randolph Project: Making “NBA Plays” With D-League Statistics

Randolph’s Immeasurable Ceiling: Making NBA Plays  It should not at all be surprising that Randolph was expected to go so high.  In YouTube clips and game footage alike, he looks great.  He’s runs the floor fluidly, has shown the ability to handle the ball in the open court, and actually loves blocking shots. Despite his wiry frame, he rebounds and blocks extremely well, showing no fear of contact.   His ability to play stronger than his size is indicative of a much higher basketball IQ than he’s given credit for. There are two things to keep in mind about Randolph: 1) he went through a mid-season coaching change and 2) Louisiana State rarely called plays for him or did anything to maximize his talent.   So any numbers he did put up were based almost entirely on his own instincts about when to make plays and his ability to insert himself into the rhythm of the game. That is something you rarely see from a freshman. From an SF Gate article: 

Mullin said that Randolph simply "makes NBA plays," which might put him slightly ahead of where Wright was at this point a year ago. 

In the moments when Randolph does have the ball, he displays an outstanding feel for the game. He seems to quickly perceive what options are available, how to take advantage of them, and where to be on the court to get it done. Any player that has attributes can earn himself playing time on an NBA roster.  Defensively, he’s an outstanding weak-side defender—though he still needs to learn how to play disciplined defense within a team concept. A quote from Hoops Addict:

An excellent weak-side defender, Randolph has the ability to alter shots in the lane, get a hand in the passing lane, or dominate the defensive boards.

The problem is his lack of defensive awareness and poor decision making. Leaving his man to get the highlight reel block, gambling for steals and some less than stellar defense in the post are a few characteristics of his that have left some to wonder whether Randolph will have trouble adapting to a quicker, more complicated defense in the NBA.

Though, with experience and practice, there’s no telling what he can do defensively. His quickness allows him to keep in front of smaller, faster forwards, while his size and presence on the wing can force teams into sloppy turnovers and bad shots.

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