Zach Randolph may be held out of the final 7 Sacramento Kings games
By Tyler Watts
Zach Randolph missed three straight Sacramento Kings games, and he looks unlikely to play again this season. Continue reading to find out why.
Zach Randolph is about as veteran as it gets in the NBA. Season number 17 in the league is quickly winding down, and at 36 years old Randolph has seen it all. Z-Bo is in his first season with the Sacramento Kings, though. Randolph continued to do Z-Bo things in Sacramento. He scored 14.5 points per game in just 25.6 minutes a night. The shooting percentages were solid, and the big man continued to dominate in the mid-range. Randolph played well on the offensive end when he saw the court.
The problem was the Kings were near the bottom of the standing all season, and yet they ran out a 36-year-old for significant minutes often over young developing players. That appears to have changed, though.
Randolph missed three
Z-Bo has not played since March 19. The Kings listed him as out with an illness in the first two contests, but that changed on Tuesday. Randolph was not on the injury report heading into the game against the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas defeated Sacramento 103-97, and Z-Bo never saw the court. The Kings played 11 players too including veterans Kosta Koufos and Vince Carter. That does not appear to be a positive sign for Randolph moving forward.
Related Story: Why Labissiere should play over Z-Bo the rest of the way
Out for season?
The Kings seemed committed to starting Skal Labissiere down the stretch, and Randolph often does not play in a reserve role. Sacramento’s roster also now features Bruno Caboclo who can play the four. The G-League regular season has wrapped up as well. The Reno Bighorns reached the playoffs, but soon JaKarr Sampson and Jack Cooley can return to Sacramento and play for the Kings as well.
It appears unlikely that Zach Randolph plays the rest of the season. The Kings only play seven more games, but do not count on Z-Bo in any. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. If he misses Thursday’s game against Indiana, it will only look more likely that he is out of the season.
Back next year?
Remember, the Kings signed Randolph to a two year fully guaranteed contract in the offseason. That means Z-Bo is set to make $11.6 million next season. It appears almost sure that he is back in Sacramento next season once again being a veteran presence on a young rebuilding squad.
Final thoughts
Zach Randolph missed three straight Kings’ games. It appears unlikely that he suits up for the rest of the season as the team looks at younger talents with room to develop. Z-Bo is likely to return next season because of his guaranteed contract, though. Stay tuned to get word on his status before Thursday’s game.
Next: Alize Johnson could be the steal of the draft for Sacramento
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