A Royal Pain
Fansided

Midseason Report Card: Zach Randolph

By Rafe Wong

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 30: Zach Randolph #50 of the Sacramento Kings reacts during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on January 30, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 30: Zach Randolph #50 of the Sacramento Kings reacts during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on January 30, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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This article will analyze how Zach Randolph has performed with the Sacramento Kings so far, as well as what grade he deserves going into the All-Star break.

Last summer, the Sacramento Kings and Zach Randolph agreed to a two-year deal that is worth around $24 million.

Although Sacramento acquired Randolph to help the team produce on the court, the main reason for his signing was to be a positive influence and leader towards the Kings’ youth of talent.

With that being said, however, here my analysis of Z-Bo’s performance so far going into the All-Star break.

Offense: B

The stats look good for Randolph on the offensive end. For the season, the 16-year veteran is averaging 14.6 points a night while shooting 48.4% from the floor, 35.1% from beyond the perimeter, and 79.3% from the free throw line. With those numbers, he is currently the top scorer for the Kings.

Although the numbers are good for Randolph, especially at the age of 36, he does get most of his production by playing isolation basketball which causes the ball movement to stop. Because of this, I think it sometimes disrupts the offensive flow in the game, and his teammates suffer as a result.

Defense: D

There was a time where Z-Bo was a tough and physical defender in the league, but those days are over. In my opinion, Z-Bo has been more of a liability on defense rather than an asset.

For the season, he has a defensive rating of 112.2 which is ranked eighth amongst his teammates. Even the eye test shows Randolph’s defensive struggles as he constantly gets beats by his opponents.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Zach Randolph is not the same player he was during his prime with the Memphis Grizzlies. With that being said, however, he still has been a solid asset with Sacramento considering his age.

Offensively is where Z-Bo does most of his damage as he is still a load to handle in the paint and he can hit the perimeter shot at a solid rate. It is his defense that has taken a deep drop since he was an All-Star a couple of years back.

But what maybe is even more important than his production on the court is what he does off of it. One of the main reasons why the Kings brought Randolph in was because he could help guide the youth of the team in the right direction. So far the youth of the Kings is getting better by the game, so it seems to be working, in my opinion.

In my eyes, a solid player and a great veteran Randolph has been so far this year, and I do not think the Kings are going to regret signing the 16-year veteran when everything is said and done.

Overall Grade: B

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