Seattle Supersonics Draft Candidates: Anthony Randolph
The Rundown
- 2007-08 Season Averages: 15.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg
- Height: 6'11", Weight: 220lbs, Position: SF/PF, Class: Freshman
- 18 years old
- Best Case Comparions: Rudy Gay, Tayshaun Prince
- Worst Case Comparison: Tim Thomas
Strengths:
- Size
- Wingspan
- Quickness
- Explosiveness
- Ballhandling
Weaknesses:
- Strength
- Forces a lot of moves, passes
- Turnovers
- Holding his ground down low
- Three-point shot
My Take: Anthony Randolph is projected to fall anywhere from the fifth to the ninth pick in the draft. If the Sonics drafted Randolph, he would most likely be competing with Jeff Green at the SF/PF position. The Sonics don't have a need at the forward position, but having a talent like Randolph with an incredibly high ceiling would be reasonable rationale for drafting him.
After briefly scouting a couple of highlight videos of Randolph, I found his most amazing quality to be his ballhandling ability. I don't know of many 6'11" basketball players that can handle the ball and go the length of the floor to create a shot for himself or a teammate. Along with his ballhandling ability, he can grab a lot of rebounds and block a lot of shots with his freakish wingspan.
He seems like a plug-and-play type of player—coaches will be able to slot him in at the forward position in any type of offense, and he'll be able to adjust his game and thrive in a variety of systems.
He has stated that he wants to be a Chris Bosh or Tayshaun Prince kind of player. I think he is a Tayshaun Prince type of player with Chris Bosh's height. His left-handed shot can hit anywhere out to mid-range, but gets less accurate further from the basket.
Conclusion: Picking Anthony Randolph has Robert Swift written all over it. It would be a tremendous mistake to pick him as the Sonics don't have a need at the forward position, and the chances are reasonably high for Randolph to be a complete bust.
Previous Candidates: Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless
Sources:nbadraft.net, draftexpress.com
