Memphis Grizzlies Midseason Grades: Zach Randolph

We’re at the midway point in the season handing out player grades for the Memphis Grizzlies. Today both Beale Street Bears editors weigh in on Zach Randolph.

Take 1: Stacy Elliott

At the beginning of the season, Dave Joerger started Zach Randolph at his wonted power forward spot. Unless you’ve successfully repressed the memories of 50-point and 30-point massacres suffered by the Grizzlies in the season’s opening weeks, you probably recall the disappointing and tumultuous opening act of 2015-16.

With a struggling team clearly in need of some changes, Coach Joerger began tinkering with many different lineups, which included relegating Randolph to the bench in favor of faster smaller lineups featuring Matt Barnes and Jeff Green.

Joerger reportedly broke the news to Randolph explaining that the team would be running more small-ball looks to keep up with a “copycat league.”

And to his credit, Z Bo, once the team’s indisputable superstar and primary scoring option only a few short seasons ago, graciously accepted the reduced role and worked to make the most of his impact off the bench. Before too long, the Grizzlies found themselves back on track in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture with Randolph acting as a sort of supercharged sixth man.

Around the halfway mark of this season, the supplanted Randolph was injected back into the starting lineup when Coach Jeorger apparently solved the puzzle of utilizing Randolph and Green while avoiding lineups compromised by the viscosity of playing Randolph and Green at the same time. Zach is back playing quality minutes in a starting role, and Green has excelled while coming off the bench and headlining quicker small-ball lineups.

Previously written off as a stubborn, me-first, toxic locker room presence with a criminal record during the incipient phase of his pro career, in six plus years with the Grizzlies Randolph has demonstrated he is a model citizen as well as an ideal team player. Randolph’s selflessness has never been clearer or more needed than this season.

As noted in previous posts, Randolph cannot run and gun and chase small-ball fours around the three point line very well, but that has not stopped him from imposing his will and being effective at his “in the mud” post play. He can still wrestle rebounds away from players with higher vertical leaps, and he can still drive past defenders to the basket or drop them off with a smooth fadeaway from the elbow.

Now in his 14th season, you probably figure that for the Grizzlies to be most effective they need to count on the 34 year-old for about 15 and 10 a game, and through all the changes Z Bo’s nearly on pace to hit those marks.

In a little under 30 minutes played per game, Zach has averaged 14 points and eight rebounds, and has shot 49 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. While playing more after being reinserted in the starting lineup, Randolph has averaged 19.5 points a game on 55 percent shooting through four games in the month of February.

In a half season of varying success and fluctuating expectations for the team, Zach Randolph’s consistent effort and leadership have been a steadying constant for the Grizz. He’s no longer All-NBA Zach powering the Grizzlies past the San Antonio Spurs, but he’s been everything you could reasonably hope for and his below-the-rim “old man river” game continues to wear well with time.

Grade so far:

A-

Highlight of the season so far:

This Z-Bound and game winning put-back to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers back on November 13th epitomizes the strength and tenacity of Randolph’s game, and it’s his top play from the first half of the NBA season.

Take 2: Nathan Grubel

Zach Randolph has gone through one interesting role change after another this season for the Memphis Grizzlies.

At the beginning of the year he was a starter as he’s been during his time with the team. Then after a rocky start that left the team out of the Western Conference playoff picture head coach Dave Joerger decided to mix up the rotation and put Randolph on the bench along with longtime defensive starter Tony Allen in favor of Matt Barnes and Jeff Green.

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Why did Joerger make this move? Well, the NBA is beginning to adopt a new era of basketball dubbed “small ball”. Speed, spacing and three-point shooting rule the “pace and space” style, all attributes that aren’t a part of Randolph’s game. Same goes for Allen.

The results were mixed to say the least. Overall the Grizzlies haven’t necessarily had greater success leaving Randolph on the bench in favor of Green because of a lack of efficient scoring. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are the two young stars of the team and could afford to play at a faster tempo, but without that other scoring option in the lineup that can reliably get buckets and serve as a focal point the team can’t expect to have too much success. Indeed Green isn’t that type of player, but in a halfcourt offense Randolph is.

Randolph has been back in the starting lineup for a few weeks now and led Memphis to a decent streak of winning up until this current month of February where the Grizzlies have dropped two straight games.

So let’s take a look at the numbers he’s put up so far this season. On the year Randolph is averaging 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on a slash line of .490/.111/.750. Throw out the three-point percentage (he doesn’t really take them anyways) and you already see a decline outside of his overall field goal percentage.

He’s not getting any younger. Sitting at 34 years of age Randolph is on the wrong side of 30 and won’t get any better. It’s becoming more difficult for him to run the floor and finish over length (he never had much lift as it is).

Is he best suited in a bench role moving forward? Certainly after this season he is. He can still put points on the board and stretch the defense at times with his mid-range jumper but as the league shifts towards playing quicker forwards capable of shooting the three at the 4-spot Randolph is quickly becoming an extinct dinosaur among other superior athletes.

Randolph hasn’t been terrible for Memphis but he’s not what the team needs anymore. If they could move him to a contender in favor of younger talent that can shoot from deep they should do so without hesitation.

It’s fun to look back at the old Randolph and see a bruiser who couldn’t be stopped in the paint or on the boards, but he hasn’t shown that dominance this season over extended periods of time and likely won’t ever show it again.

I’m sorry Grizzlies fans but it’s time to move on from the old style of basketball.

Grade: B-

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