We don't currently have another spot for anybody in our rotation, but what would you guys think about pursuing Anthony Randolph for our "missing PF"? He's having a terrible season right now playing for D'Antoni(who keeps pulling him in and out of the doghouse), but he showed an insane amount of potential in his Golden State stretch, so much so that they refused to include him in any Amare talks a year ago.
To me, he's a better, taller Earl Clark. He's younger too, even though he was drafted before Earl. He's grown to 7 feet, he can handle the ball and pass like a guard. He's an excellent shotblocker and a decent rebounder. Of course, his game has some deficiencies. He has some terrible shot selection, and when you couple that with an Earl-esque inability to shoot, you get some facepalm inducing plays on offense. He forces a lot of stuff on offense(like Earl). He's not that great at man to man defense just yet, but his physical tools(insane wingspan+quickness) lend him a high ceiling on that end. Also, he had a reputation as a bit of a primadonna, but I'm not sure how true that is.
I think he would fit in perfectly here. He and Clark together would be an incredibly versatile frontline. They're bigs with guard-like skillsets, and having a 22 year old 6'10 Clark at SF, a 21 year old 7 foot Randolph at PF, and a 22 year old 7 foot Lopez at C would make for a fantastic frontline to build around. But I'm not talking about acquiring him strictly for the future; I really do think he could be the PF we're looking for. Couple his mindblowing abilities with Nash and you have a really potentially effective combination that could help us THIS YEAR.
The problem is that we don't have room for him in our rotation unless we move some pieces(if he's our PF, what happens to Hedo? If you move Hedo to SF, what happens to Hill? If Hedo goes to the bench, who on the bench do you kick out of the rotation? If you don't give Randolph minutes and bury him like Clark because he can't crack the 10 man rotation we currently have, does he pout and become a nuisance?). Additionally, this is his last year under contract, so giving up anything of value for him would be risky considering he'll most likely be overpaid next summer due to his massive potential. Also, NYK turned down Indiana's first round pick for him, because they're trying to use him as the centerpiece for a Carmelo trade, so I don't know what their asking price would be.
Here's a scouting report from draftexpress last summer:
In terms of raw talent, no player displayed more glimpses of potential than Golden State Warrior Anthony Randolph. Leading the summer league at 27 points per game in just 33 minutes, Randolph was simply a scoring machine all week long. Besides putting the ball in the net with the greatest of ease, though, Randolph also contributed in other areas, with 8.5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2.2 steals.
Randolph’s physical gifts are impossible to ignore, and are clearly a huge part in what makes him such a special talent. 6-10, with a pterodactyl wingspan and freakish athleticism, there are very few players in the NBA he can be compared to. He used his athleticism to make a number of unbelievable plays throughout the week, particularly utilizing his length around the rim.
What makes Randolph unique is his ability to create his own shot from the perimeter at his size, or operate as a super fluid one-man fast break. He possesses a devastating first step and excellent ball-handling skills, to go along with great coordination and extremely advanced footwork. It’s not rare to see him tap-dancing his way to the basket with the greatest of ease, often throwing in lightning quick spin-moves along the way, only to stop on a dime and then pivot in the opposite direction for an effortless finish.
Randolph got to the free throw line like an absolute machine in Vegas—21 times in a single game in fact (!)—and although he was getting calls at times as if he were a 10-year summer league vet, it wasn’t hard to see how tough a cover he is for almost any player to guard. Randolph also didn’t shy away from taking his man down to the paint and showing his post repertoire. This is an interesting part of his game that can still be developed into a terrific weapon, as his excellent combination of quickness and footwork really makes him a big mismatch against small forwards and power forwards alike, despite his lack of strength.
Thanks to his size, Randolph also has the ability to rise up and get his shot off almost whenever he pleases, and he indeed showed a very nice turnaround jumper he can use to bail himself out when he gets himself into trouble.
Despite all the positives, there are still a number of glaring holes to Randolph’s game that he must iron out if he wants to reach his incredibly high ceiling. Considering that he’s still only 20 years old, this might not come as all that much of a surprise.
From DraftExpress.comhttp://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Anthony-Randolph-1069/#ixzz15msEsewf
http://www.draftexpress.com
Some highlights:
Anthony Randolph '08-'09 Highlight Reel (via BBJ)
Warriors 2008-09 Highlights: Anthony Randolph (via GoldenStateWarriors)
Anthony Randolph vs. Spurs (via orangino)
Anthony Randolph goes off on Jazz (via orangino)
And finally, Randolph(mixed with some Anthony Morrow) versus the Suns:
Anthony Randolph & Morrow vs. Suns (via orangino)
For a team that's most credited with starting the positional revolution that's currently sweeping the NBA....to me, Anthony Randolph is an avenue that should be pursued.