Over the summer, the Denver Nuggets acquired Anthony Randolph to add another weapon to their arsenal, but in doing so it opened a barrage of questions. One of the biggest — and perhaps most important — is can Denver, who for all intents and purposes are known to develop players, ‘fix’ Randolph?
Can Masai, who also likes to scout out ‘projects’ to work with, unleash the potential in Randolph and allow him to become an effective player in Denver?
“We have to find talented players that are maybe forgotten about and need a chance, and we saw him that way.”
Anthony hasn’t had the luxury of having a stable NBA home as he came into the league in 2008-09 and was with the Golden State Warriors for two seasons; in 2010-11 he played with the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This will be his fourth NBA team since 2008, and by many pundits, he would be considered “null and void” without having a real purpose; or to use Twitter’s favorite term, “he’s trash.”
However, sometimes “trash” can be recycled into magnificent, pliable, useful things; basically, Denver can reuse Anthony Randolph and turn him into a substantial NBA player.
Denver has been in need of a natural power forward as of late, and besides Kenneth Faried, there aren’t names that scream out “play me” outside of Anthony Randolph. He’s has the length, the skill and the offensive skill set, but it’s a matter if he wants to give 110% each and every practice and game, which will differentiate his tenure with other teams from his time in Denver.
However, the same has been said when he went to New York and Minnesota, but are those environments truly as nurturing as Denver’s? In New York and Minnesota, they had situated power forwards, and Randolph would never get proper utilization when being overshadowed by Kevin Love or Amar’e Stoudemire.
I hate to use the word “potential” as it’s often used as a copout when players do not produce, but Randolph still has the “potential” to develop with a young, talented team.
John Hollinger (Insider) noted his biggest strength is being a finisher at the rim, but outside of that aspect there isn’t one area that screams “LOOK AT ME.” Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean his other areas can’t be developed, because they can, but — again– that falls on his willingness to work and will need unlimited effort from him.
Something that Denver does have, that he may have not experienced, is fundamental coaching. Love him or hate him, George Karl has a system that speaks for itself, as well as the rest of the coaching staff, the environment, and the winningness of the Denver Nuggets. That goes a long way in how it embraces a player that hasn’t reached full stride.
If he wants to be succesful in Denver, he must learn how to work with the ball quickly (and effectively) as well as developing a consistent mid-range game. He has to worry less about proving himself to fans, but has to impress Coach Karl — you know, the guy that determines rotations — and develop better instincts within a team parameter. George Karl is a staunch — I feel like I say this countless times — coach and will never “settle” for someone producing at a half-ass rate.
It’s very possible and probable and the Denver Nuggets can play Mr. Fix-It with Anthony Randolph, but that only if he is willing to put in the effort, work, and mental fortitude to cut the deficits in his game and replace them with production, willingness to change bad habits and the concept of taking that extra step each and every day.
