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GodSaveTheKnicks
Posts: 23952 Alba Posts: 21 Joined: 11/21/2006 Member: #1207 USA |
12/10/2010 3:09 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/sports/basketball/21randolph.html
The search for Anthony Randolph and his ever-tantalizing talents led to a familiar resting spot: to the sideline at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., to a row of seats lining the court, to the end of a crowded bench, lost but not forgotten. It was an instantly familiar scene to any dedicated fan. Only the position of Randolph’s seat had changed, from the right side of the scorer’s table to the left. For two bumpy seasons with Golden State, Randolph was a frequent fixture on the sideline, consigned to the Warriors’ bench by injury or by order of Coach Don Nelson. When Randolph returned to Oakland on Friday night, as a member of the Knicks, he was again a reluctant spectator. This is the burden of a 21-year-old prospect with fantastic physical gifts and a still-developing basketball conscience. Randolph has fallen out of Coach Mike D’Antoni’s rotation, just as he once fell out of favor with Nelson. Once again, Randolph is sitting, waiting for his opportunity to shine. “You got to take your lumps and bruises and just wait your time,” he said, reciting well-practiced truisms. “It’s a long season. Anything can happen.” It is the anything-can-happen part that has made Randolph intriguing and frustrating for two franchises. He is listed at 6 feet 11 inches, with an elongated Plastic Man torso, a pterodactyl wingspan and a knack for spawning YouTube clips. He can grab a rebound, block a shot into the third row or fly across the lane for a dunk so powerful that his teammates fall over one another in mock horror. This is where the troubles start. Randolph wants to do it all, preferably now. But he has trouble matching the right skill to the right moment. His decisions can be maddening, leading to turnovers, blown plays and annoyed coaches. Warriors Coach Keith Smart, a former Nelson assistant, called Randolph an enigma who was “trying to find out who he is as a basketball player.” D’Antoni’s assessment is nearly identical. “He has to define his game,” D’Antoni said. “Defensively, rebounding, moving the ball on offense and not try to do too much. He’s got so much talent that he can do anything and go one-on-one against anybody. But at the end of the day, you got to be efficient, and that’s what we’re trying to get him to be, efficient.” The Knicks expected some bumps after acquiring Randolph from the Warriors in July, as the centerpiece of the David Lee trade. Randolph is the youngest player on one of the league’s youngest rosters, and he is still acclimating to the N.B.A. After being drafted in 2008 out of Louisiana State, he played only 63 games as a rookie and he missed most of last season because of an ankle injury. D’Antoni was willing to endure some mistakes, but a 3-8 start that included a six-game losing streak eliminated any room for error. Randolph was averaging 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.1 minutes a game through Friday. His shooting was erratic (27.6 percent), and his performance in the Knicks’ recent loss at Denver illustrated the team’s concerns. Randolph entered the game late in the first quarter. Fourteen seconds later, he threw a bad pass for a turnover. Within the next few minutes, he also missed two long jump shots and committed a defensive 3-second violation, offsetting his positive contributions (a rebound and two layups). His defensive lapses led to 5 quick points by Al Harrington. The results were fairly typical. Randolph can quickly fill a box score, but sometimes in the wrong categories. He also has more confidence in his jump shot than the results justify. He has a career shooting percentage of .331 from beyond 10 feet, according to HoopData.com. “My job is to give us the best possibility to win a game,” D’Antoni said, “and I don’t think it’s fair to other players if I think that this is going to hurt us if I play somebody.” If he committed himself to simple tasks — rebounding and shot blocking — Randolph could be a Marcus Camby clone. But he has the size and skills to emulate Lamar Odom, the Los Angeles Lakers’ rangy, multitasking forward. “Seriously, I see him as Lamar,” said the Knicks’ Ronny Turiaf, who has played alongside Odom and Randolph. Odom’s continual activity leads to a full box score, and Turiaf said Randolph should aim to do the same. “Like I tell him every single day, he has the key to his destiny in his hands,” Turiaf said. “Is he willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen? I think that he is.” Even Randolph’s strongest advocates acknowledge he needs a lot of work. While the Knicks were in the Bay Area, Randolph’s agent, Bill Duffy, met with D’Antoni to lobby for more patience. “You know, he’s still a young player, and I think the experience he had here was so up and down,” Duffy said, adding: “Obviously, everyone knows he’s immensely talented. But there’s still basic things that I think he needs to develop more. We just got to keep his confidence and keep his work ethic.” Quiet and sensitive, Randolph has a hard time disguising his disappointment. But he drew a sharp distinction between his experiences with the Warriors and the Knicks, crediting D’Antoni for being more direct and communicative than Nelson was. “This is a cakewalk here,” he said with a smile. “I love it here.” Although his game remains in a formative stage, Randolph’s attitude has matured. He admits he has proved nothing yet — “I’m nobody” — and says he will work to gain D’Antoni’s trust. “I’ve shown in spurts what I can do, so whether or not I can play in this league is not a question,” Randolph said. “It’s just a matter of me learning and being a lot smarter about how I play.” Let's try to elevate the level of discourse in this byeetch. Please
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rvwink
Posts: 20412 Alba Posts: 0 Joined: 7/3/2006 Member: #1145 |
12/10/2010 3:19 PM
Nice article, thanks for posting.
It managed to answer a couple of questions I had. |
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cheers
Posts: 21060 Alba Posts: 0 Joined: 11/27/2010 Member: #3316 |
12/10/2010 3:22 PM
play him coach!
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