Zach Randolph: 6th Man Supreme?

Living in Portland, I get a chance to watch the Blazers and Zach Randolph on many occasions.

I'll write more about the Blazers as time goes on, but I want to offer a few thoughts about Randolph now.

I just read a brief analysis in Sports Illustrated that listed the 5 teams that just need one or two pieces in order to become formidable teams. One of those listed teams was the Blazers and Randolph was noted as one of the team's cornerstones.

This writer has done what just about everyone does when they look at Randolph: they look at the numbers but do not delve into his actual game. They see the 20 points, ten rebounds and pencil him in at the four spot, believing that he can post those numbers for a winning team, if other pieces are added.

Such a view is oblivious to Randolph's true game and does not truly analyze his real impact on a team and game. So far, no NBA GM has recognized Randolph's true value and attempted to utilize him most appropriately.

Zebo, as he is known here in Rip City, will never be a starter on a championship team, or even a team that wins lots of games. Instead, if he ever becomes an integral part of a championship-caliber team, it will be as a dominating 6th man.

His strengths and his weaknesses scream this reality. Unfortunately, his too-rich salary may never allow him to fulfill what should be his rightful destiny.

Zebo's game is about as subtle as a freight train barreling down the tracks. He plants himself in the low-post, and with an uncanny combination of quickness, explosiveness, relentlessness and guile, he gets points in the paint like Adrian Dantley with a bad body. Granted, he's about 5 inches taller than Dantley, and despite his lumpy body, he's more athletic than Dantley, but he has the same impact that Dantley had. After he's torched a team for 25 points, the other team's front line has to stand there shaking their heads, wondering how he did it.

Zebo is more like Moses Malone with a more rounded offensive game. Like Moses, he plants himself near the rim and plays volleyball, often with himself, as he racks up the points and rebounds. There's just no one who plays the game the way he plays it these days. It's fun to watch, as frustrating as it may be for opponents.

The problem is that when he starts, he plays the four spot. And at the four spot, his defensive weaknesses are glaring. And he has many defensive weakness. Most obvious is the fact that he has horrible lateral quickness. A wee bit undersized to begin with, with today's 7 foot power forwards who can play 15 feet from the basket, he is like a baby on a raft in the middle of the ocean when one of those new style fours isolates him out on a wing, or gets him into a pick-and-roll. Offenses can always game plan around exploiting him, and they often do.

A four has to be able to rebound - which he does well - block shots and play solid individual and team defense. A four who does those things well is as or more important than a center who does those things. San Antonio and Tim Duncan is the perfect example of this dynamic. They've won a couple of championships with a great power forward and a few guys named Joe playing the center spot.

Look at the last few champions and their starting power forwards: Udonis Hasleem, Rasheed Wallace and Duncan. Rebounding, defense and blocked shots. No one-dimensional scorers on the list.

Randolph is a board monster, but his strong rebounding does not compensate for the fact that he does none of the other things well.

So, as Portland gets better and goes deeper into the playoffs, his foibles will become more obvious and his value will lessen. Teams will look at him as a boutique player, a nice piece on a bad team but no one you would really want on a championship-caliber team.

That view ignores the kind of impact he could have as a 6th man on a great team.

When Detroit won its championship in '04, Corliss Williamson was an extremely important part of that team. He came into games and he changed the tone and course of those games by hurling his beefy body around the lane, causing havoc, scoring points and getting opponents' front lines in foul trouble. Simply, without Williamson, Detroit does not win that championship. One could argue that they have not won a championship since '04 because they foolishly got rid of Williamson, undervaluing his contribution.

Zebo is that same type of talent, but better. He's a better, more versatile offensive player: he can step out and hit a 15 foot jumper with ease. He's a better rebounder; he is a good defensive rebounder and he may be the best offensive rebounder in the league. He has the knack of being in the right spot around the rim and he is one of those Rodman-type quick leapers. He can get off the floor for a couple of sneaky taps before other players have gathered themselves for that one powerful leap. He seems to have excellent vision and anticipation and he knows just where to put that bulky frame so that he can get his fingertips on the ball as it rolls off a rim.

Championship caliber teams need that type of player. Just look at the last few champions and remember Antoine Walker and Manu Ginobli and Corliss "Big Nasty" Williamson. Do Miami and San Antoinio and Detroit win without those contributions? Absolutely not.

Players like that send a jolt of energy and power into a team that may be a little lethargic or that may be stymied by the starter matchups. They may be able to better exploit tired starters or subs that are not quite defensive stalwarts.

As a 6th man, Zebo's job would be obvious: score.

His defensive liabilities would be unimportant. Other teams would have to worry about him and they could not game plan around the fact that he could be exploited defensively.

He would be like a Queen on a chess board, a piece you could move around and use as needed. If he could exploit a power forward, put him in at the four spot. If he could overpower the small forward, put him in as the three. On rare occasions, you might be able to even play him at the center spot. As a 6th man, he would be a devastating player, a matchup nightmare and a championship maker.

The biggest problem with that scenario is the fact that he is paid like a franchise player and franchise players do not come off the bench. Plain and simple. The fact that he makes that level of salary limits what other teams might be able to do with him. At his present salary, what team wants to take him on to bring him off the bench? It is hard to imagine.

There may be a way to work around this essential quandary. How? Well, I do not know, though figuring stuff like that out is why GMs are paid the big bucks.

If someone can resolve that issue, or if what happened to Chris Webber - a buy-out that lets him make his own deal - ever happened to Zebo, then Randolph may be able to finally play the game he can play and make his best contribution.

Will it ever happen? Will a GM ever be smart enough to envision Zebo as the John Havlicek of the 21 century? Only time will tell....