Memphis Grizzlies: Randolph’s Absence Shows His Worth
The Memphis Grizzlies need Zach Randolph. It’s as simple as that. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have emerged to take more control of the offense, their usage rates have increased from the last season to 26.3 and 24.8 percent respectively, while Randolph’s has fallen to 24.7 percent. The previous two seasons, he led the team in usage rate and was considered the “go-to” scorer (after the 2013 Rudy Gay trade).
It is clear that Conley and Gasol are now the primary scoring options, but without Randolph on the floor the Grizzlies are incomplete. This is a three-man band, and the part Randolph plays is vital.
Randolph went down with a sore knee at some point during a game against the Chicago Bulls, and the Grizzlies went on to lose that game and then three more in a row.
In total, Randolph has missed parts of five games (counting his early exit against Chicago), and Memphis is 1-4 in those games with the only win coming Saturday night against the Miami Heat. His absence was strongly felt in a 117-111 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.
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The Memphis offense fell apart in overtime and could have used Z-Bo for one of his patented bail-out buckets. For some reason, I find it hard to believe that Tony Allen would be allowed to take (and miss) crunch-time shots if a skilled scorer like Randolph was on the floor.
Despite his smaller role within the offense, Randolph has excelled in his age 33 season. He is currently averaging 16.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, with a PER of 20.5 and 48.3 percent shooting. It is on pace to be his most efficient season, and his best rebounding season since 2010-2011.
It’s not just the scoring that the Grizzlies miss, they also lack defensively and on the glass when he is out of the lineup. Randolph is currently second on the team, to Gasol, in defensive win shares with 1.3 and he leads the team in rebounding percentage with 20.8 percent.
Without Randolph in the lineup, Memphis has elected to start either Kosta Koufos or Jon Leuer at the power forward spot. Both Koufos and Leuer have played well in their respective reserve roles this season, but they are not adequate replacements for Randolph.
Koufos provides another rim protector next to Marc Gasol (Koufos has a 2.0 Defensive Real Plus/Minus Rating), but his 4.5 points per game do not make up for the loss of Randolph’s scoring. Leuer has some offensive skills, but he is more of a face-up stretch-four that can’t match Randolph’s rebounding, toughness, or defensive prowess down low.
With Randolph back in the lineup, Koufos and Leuer shift back to their regular roles, making the team better in all areas. Memphis was 21-5 before Randolph went down with his sore knee. The return of the status quo should mean a return to their winning ways.
The Grizzlies have some time off before their next game, and after just enduring a fourgame losing streak they certainly need it. Their next game is Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. They have split their two meetings this season, with Memphis most recently knocking off the Spurs in triple overtime.
In that matchup, Zach Randolph scored 21 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. He also scored all six Memphis points in the third overtime to help his team secure the victory. If the Grizzlies are going to beat the Spurs for the second time in two weeks, they are going to need a healthy Randolph back on the low-block.