The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked
By Cal Durrett
50) Zach Randolph
17-year NBA veteran Zach Randolph had already played nine seasons in the league by the start of 2010 but still had his best years ahead of him. In 2009, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies and put together his two best seasons in 2009–10 and 2010–11, averaging 20.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 20.1 points and 12.2 boards per game.
He made his first all-star team in 09-10 and helped lead the Grizzlies to the playoffs in 2010-11, where they upset the number-one seed San Antonio Spurs to advance to the second round for the first time in franchise history. Randolph proved to be key to Memphis' run during the decade. They made the playoffs seven straight seasons, including making the Western Conference Finals in 2012–13.
Randolph's physical play as a post-scorer and strong rebounder fit perfectly with Memphis' gritty style. Nevertheless, he slowly began to decline, and he ultimately signed with the Sacramento Kings to close out his career in 2017–18. In 610 games during the 2010s, Randolph put up 16.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and made the all-star team twice and the All-NBA third team once, placing him in the top 50 of players who played in the 2010s.