Hollinger Blasts Randolph

by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Aug 4, 2008 8:41 PM PDT

Here's what ESPN's john Hollinger had to say about Anthony Randolph in June:

Between Me and the Scouts, One of Us Will Look Like an Idiot
Anthony Randolph, LSU, 9.85

Yes, this is true. Seen in many quarters as a high lottery pick, Randolph has virtually nothing in his statistical record to justify such a lofty selection.

In particular, his woeful ball-handling numbers are a major red flag. Randolph had more turnovers than any prospect except Beasley and Thompson, but those two players had every play run through them; I'm still waiting to find out Randolph's excuse.

Additionally, his 49.9 true shooting percentage is alarmingly bad for a guy who is supposed to dominate athletically.

He can block shots, and the fact his team was such a mess probably didn't help his numbers any, but gambling on Randolph with a high first-round pick looks like the basketball equivalent of hitting on 19 in blackjack. Hey, maybe the dealer throws out a 2 and everyone thinks you're a genius, but chances are you're going to bust.

It appears he's going to be drafted in the middle of the first round at worst, but even that appears to be a terrible mistake -- there is no track record whatsoever of a player rated this poorly achieving pro success.

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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Eh...

It’s Hollinger so don’t take it seriously. He tries too hard to be the Bill James of basketball.

by joestar on Aug 4, 2008 8:52 PM PDT 0 recs

+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

by Nellieball on Aug 4, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

eh

he’s not bill james, but I wouldnt totally dismiss him either, Hollinger is right more often than he’s wrong. If he had written a glowing evaluation of Randolph the same people who dismiss this one would be excited about it. I’m not sayin Randolph will be a bust, but I respect Hollinger’s opinion and it does concern me a bit. I also respect Nellie’s opinion though and he loves the kid.

by sam23 on Aug 5, 2008 9:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

GREAT ODDS!

Now, I love this pick. Hollinger is already an idiot, so it all works out. This is the same guy that predicted the Rockets would win 70 games last year.

by sarangc on Aug 4, 2008 8:55 PM PDT 0 recs

Between Me and the Scouts, One of Us Will Look Like an Idiot

I guess Hollinger is the idiot

by Rach on Aug 4, 2008 8:56 PM PDT 0 recs

wait

so, this is a post about something that was written in june? i sort of assumed that when the title was ‘hollinger blasts randolph’ it was at least a little bit recent, or it would have been called ‘hollinger blasted randolph two months ago, now i’m mad!’

by cap'n hack on Aug 4, 2008 8:59 PM PDT 0 recs

yeah

old news

"They can trade me," Bonds said. "I don't think they will, though. It's not like I want to be traded, man. I'm a Giant. I'm stuck here till the end."

by GameSix on Aug 5, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up 0 recs

Hollinger’s projections for rookies isn’t perfect, but it ain’t terrible either. It usually outperforms the actual draft. He’s not the only one who didn’t think that Randolph looked good by the numbers. Just about every system for predicting rookie success indicatest hat Randolph has high bust potential. I hope it’s not true, but all the concerns Hollinger raises are legitimate concerns. Talented guys fail for a number of reasons.

by jae on Aug 4, 2008 9:04 PM PDT 0 recs

+1

seems like most of GSoM only believes or listens to what they want to believe. Most of us have gotten hyped up over a positive scouting report on Randolph by a much lesser basketball mind than Hollinger in the last couple months.

by sam23 on Aug 5, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up 0 recs

This article is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO old!

by smearthebeard on Aug 4, 2008 9:23 PM PDT 0 recs

Hollinger is a deuche box

Like 49.9 % shooting is bad??? I am actually glad that he ripped Randolph. That actually means the rook has a shot at being great. Hollinger is nothing but a windbag, who blasts great players, and touts mediocre ones. Somehow, he has been anointed one of ESPN’s NBA experts because he uses numbers and formulas to base his opinion. He’s the kind of idiot who would have touted Eric Montross over Shaq when they both came out as rookies the same year, because Montross’s college numbers translated better to the NBA. Trick him.

by OperationWayne on Aug 4, 2008 10:51 PM PDT 0 recs

49.9%

TRUE SHOOTING, not FG%. There’s a huge difference.

by kinetic on Aug 5, 2008 12:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'm not sure what the difference is...

Seeing Ar in summer action does make it seem like he is a low percentage guy, with high risk plays and a streaky jumpshot. However, he gets to the line like he was looking for money, leading me to believe he has an all-around game that will translate well. Many rookies do not have that tenacity and aggressiveness, but AR’s entire game is predicated on his unusually high skill-set and will power.

by joestar on Aug 5, 2008 12:26 AM PDT up 0 recs

true shooting percentage

takes into account extra points from free throws and 3’s. I like that he got to the line a ton in Summer League. But his FG% was pretty atrocious and he had a lot of turnovers, which are the exact reasons that Hollinger is so low in the guy.

In short, Randolph has a ton of upside, but he’s also so raw that he may never pull it all together. It’s not like Hollinger is saying anything that an objective observer would’ve seen in Randolph.

by kinetic on Aug 5, 2008 12:44 AM PDT up 0 recs

*would not have seen in Randolph.

by kinetic on Aug 5, 2008 12:44 AM PDT up 0 recs

True shooting % is a measure of points per possession where you shoot the ball, more or less. Randolph didn’t hit the three much in college and was only moderately effective at getting to the line based on his overall FG attempts. It’s a very small sample, but he was more effective at getting to the line in the summer league than he was at LSU. Of course, that can be deceiving since players can’t foul out in the summer league, so there’s not as much to discourage guys from hacking.

His summer league doesn’t really encourage me unfortunately. Amazing guy to watch, but his turnovers suggest that he shouldn’t handle the ball as much, that the look of guard skills overrates his actual effectiveness. The turnovers where high at LSU and high in the summer league. The shooting was overall pretty poor at LSU and not better in the summer league. I really think he’s a guy who would have benefited from another year in college with some structured coaching.

by jae on Aug 5, 2008 7:33 AM PDT up 0 recs

2 words

Bakersfield Jam

by sam23 on Aug 5, 2008 9:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

Do you have any evidence that he would have touted Montross over Shaq, or is this just empty hyperbole? Since Montross and Shaq weren’t in the same draft class, I’ll assume you were just making up a false point to ‘prove’ your bias. There’s easy enough ways to bash Hollinger’s stuff if you understand it, but the “logic” that since Hollinger was critical then he must be on his way to greatness leaves a whole lot of thinking to be desired.

by jae on Aug 5, 2008 7:23 AM PDT up 0 recs

Pointless thread!

It's about heart, It's about fight, It's about being a Warrior!

by BritWarriorGSW on Aug 5, 2008 1:55 AM PDT 0 recs

Hollinger is a douche

I respect him since he likes to stick his neck out a lot, but there’s times where he’ll just nitpick at stats to make it seem that certain players are god-awful. With his way of clowning on players, he could make ANYONE seem like a bad guy.

I swear, this is the same guy who bashed Monta Ellis before coming into the league. He even said that Monta “better get ready to bring his game overseas”. I couldn’t read Hollinger’s full review on Monta since it’s only for people that pay, but from the sample it was clear that Ho was completely sure of Monta’s ‘inability’ to be a great player in the league.

by Five Ten Entertainment on Aug 5, 2008 3:23 AM PDT 0 recs

ahh nevermind.

I’m not 100% sure if it was Hollinger that said that about Ellis, but i’m pretty sure that it was him.

by Five Ten Entertainment on Aug 5, 2008 3:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

This thread is as meaningless as my post. Go lakers!

Till I go pee
Live life at KMart
Foot in mouth chasin me

by Skeptic Con Urquel on Aug 5, 2008 8:20 AM PDT 0 recs

why would a lakers fan be on GSOM? go find a Fakers blog

No one wants to hear you cheering for the lakers or posting on GSOM about anything lakers. Do you really have nothing else to do with your life? Go post pro-laker crap on the Celtics blog please

by TravisBickle on Aug 5, 2008 9:47 AM PDT up 0 recs

It is clear to all that

ARandolph would be a super star if he was a Laker. He will be a bust as a Warrior. Trade him before it is too late.

Till I go pee
Live life at KMart
Foot in mouth chasin me

by Skeptic Con Urquel on Aug 5, 2008 11:45 AM PDT 0 recs

yeah and a couple of weeks later...

after watching Randolph in Summer League, Hollinger was signin a different tune

by 3Kings650 on Aug 5, 2008 11:49 AM PDT 0 recs

He's Singing a Different Tune Today Also...

From today’s (8/5) chat with Hollinger:

Jeff (East Bay, CA): John…everybody knows that the Warriors are going to be worse this year than the last two…but did they set themselves up to be really competitive (and have some decent cap space) in 2-3 years?

John Hollinger: (3:19 PM ET ) That was my first though when Davis left … but having looked over what’s left, I actually think the Warriors might surprise some people this year. Mullin really learned his lessons from those horrible contracts he signed when he first took over, and has made a U-turn into one of the league’s shrewdest cap managers.

by Hoopachoo on Aug 5, 2008 12:26 PM PDT 0 recs

Where does this mention Randolph?

by jae on Aug 5, 2008 1:02 PM PDT up 0 recs

I just meant

The Warriors are Losers in the offseason according to his piece the other day, but now he thinks they may surprise. My apologies – I wasn’t really talking about Randolph.

by Hoopachoo on Aug 5, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up 0 recs

Although I guess...

...they could be losers and also still surprise.

by Hoopachoo on Aug 5, 2008 1:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

I'm On Crack

That was a Chad Ford article. My bad.

by Hoopachoo on Aug 5, 2008 1:06 PM PDT up 0 recs

Actually the Chat today did mention AR specifically.

Here was the first Warrior mention in the Chat.

Ray A. (San Francisco, CA): Anthony Randolph? Shot at ROY?
John Hollinger: I didn’t think the D-League gave out a Rookie award.

And then he expanded on his answer above regarding Mullying being shrewd when a reader called him out on it.

Mike H. Bloomington IN: Mullin a shrewd cap manager? Maggette at 10 million? Turiaf at 4 million? Those seem like a bit too much for both of those guys to me.
John Hollinger: Find me a better scorer than Maggette who makes less (and isn’t on a rookie deal). As for Turiaf, he’s worth that money easily—especially in a world where DeSagana Diop commands the full midlevel.

Here’s the Insider link.

“http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=21810” >

by Dubbadown on Aug 5, 2008 2:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

damn hollinger is cold

he’s got a point though. AR’s not gonna get much playing time unless he shows some tenacious D, a la Tayshuan prince. even tayshuan got lucky when he first got PT cuz he owned it up in the playoffs.

AR better stay focused and produce with the little minutes he gets. But yeah, no way AR gets ROY

by dso on Aug 6, 2008 4:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

one important assumption

One big thing to take into account is that Hollinger is rating him as a big man here, where low shooting percentage and turnovers are biggest reddest flags out there for big men who just catch the ball in the post and score in the paint.

However, in the NBA, he’s most likely going to be used as a lengthy swingman instead.

Here’s how Randolph stacks up to some of his comparisons:

Anthony Randolph
07/08 LSU
TS%: 51%
TO/40: 3.6
Reb/40: 10.2
STL/40: 1.4
Blk/40: 2.7

Lamar Odom
98-99 Rhode Island (age 19)
TS%: 55%
TO/40: 4
Reb/40: 11
STL/40: 1
Blk/40: 2

Tayshaun Prince
02-03 NBA rookie year (couldn’t find college TS%)
TS%: 54%
TO/40: 2
Reb/40: 4.3
STL/40: 1
Blk/40: 1.3

And just for kicks:
Kevin Garnett
95/96 (rookie year)
TS%: 52%
TO/40: 1.9
Reb/40: 8.5
STL/40: 1.5
Blk/40: 2.2

by YaHeard on Aug 5, 2008 1:09 PM PDT 0 recs

Randolph

Right now I’d probably peg him at a young Lamar Odom with bad shot selection, but more aggressive on offense. I’d be happy if he turned into Odom.

by YaHeard on Aug 5, 2008 1:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

The only one who can give a real answer

is Anthony. We are talking about who can/will he become but the truth is hidden in AR head. If he’s willing to work hard, learn and if he has that inner strenght that will help him when things go rough then he can become as good as anyone listed above and even better. If he will be the first one in practice and the last one to leave then he’ll be allright but if he will miss practice sobering at home from a party…?

by buky on Aug 5, 2008 3:12 PM PDT 0 recs

If Anthony was Laker he'd be an excellent player. Trade him before its too late!

Till I go pee
Live life at KMart
Foot in mouth chasin me

by Skeptic Con Urquel on Aug 5, 2008 3:36 PM PDT 0 recs

uggh

this shtick is getting old.

by fuller over bryant on Aug 5, 2008 5:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

hahahahaha

nice username. that made me laugh so hard

"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball

by flipgatey3 on Aug 5, 2008 9:57 PM PDT up 0 recs

yea

but AR could be the coming of scottie Pippen. We all know he could handle and pass the ball, but if he could learn how to shoot and play D. Well, we got 22,10, 8, and 2 blk and stl in 3-4 yrs. To think about all he only have to bulk up to 220 to play sf anyway. He is more aggessive than Odom too.

by warriorfan4life on Aug 6, 2008 11:28 AM PDT 0 recs