Is Anthony Randolph Being Set-Up to Fail?

Anthony Randolph is one of the most physically talented players at the NBA.  At 6’10, he carries a skill set that few players posses at his height. He has great ball handling skills and a decent mid range jumper. He possesses good foot speed for his frame. He is a player who has the potential to be a top player in today’s NBA. Despite all of this, Randolph will fail.

The reason is simple: the places he’s played.

Let’s look back at his time in Golden State. During his two years with the Warriors he had a lot of peaks and valleys. While he averaged respectable stats there (9-6 in about 20 minutes), his stint will likely be remembered for his off the court issues. Off the court as in, on the bench. He always seemed to be injured or misused by Nellie.  While his style of play is fun to watch and great for offensive minded players, his interactions with said players is sometimes bizarre. Nellie’s the type of coach who will barely play you one week and then play you for the whole game the next (Ask Montae). As a result, Randolph would often pout on the bench and lose confidence which is key for any young player in the league. When he did crawl out of Nellie’s doghouse he seemed disinterested and defeated.

“That was all in the past. We have a better coach than GS and who wouldn’t want to play in New York?”

Hold on there a second, Knicks fans. While it is true that D’ Antoni’s system is more “structured(?)” than Golden State’s, it has yet to be seen if he’s going to be a better coach for Randolph.

Let’s look at his track record:

• He hardly played Jordan Hill last year.
• He sat Marbury for no reason. (Okay, maybe that was deserved)
• He became infuriated with Robinson even though he was perfect for his system.
• He shows blatant favoritism which divides locker rooms. (Galinari, anyone?)

I don’t know if he’ll work out in New York. He will continue to develop under a similar offense. The chance to play with Amar’e Stoudemire could be beneficial to him. On the other hand, he may displease Mike in some way and not get off the bench for months at a time. Would he have been a better fit in somewhere like, say, Oklahoma City? We won’t get the chance to find out, at least not now.

As a pure prospect, Anthony is a can’t miss type of player. As a person he is often sensitive and insecure, which can spell disaster for someone as young and talented as he is. I have no idea how he’ll fit in with project “rebuild the Suns… but in New York”,  but I now have a reason to watch the Knicks play.

Tagged: anthony randolph, basketball, nba, new york knicks