A month after the draft

[Ballings7]

Why does Randolph have to be a PF?

I didn't say he has to be a PF, it was just in comparision to Thompson, and for us at PF. Thompson and Randolph are quite different as front-court prospects, but the possibility is there of Randolph, turning out to at least sway to being a 4-man.

Generally, who knows what foward Randolph will be primarily, if even having that result later on. Thus, if not having position definition, he would be a tweener foward and more of a bench player, unless on a small-ball team playing PF (except B. Wright is there for the PF spot already on GS). Because of certain weaknesses on both ends at SF or PF, that isn't affordable in being a regular starter, on a conventionally built, competitive team.

How Randolph develops relating to his shooting and how strong/big he becomes will dictate his position situation. Specifically with the shooting, if he doesn't improve on his poor 3PT range (2/12 in college), where he's a respectable threat there, and also doesn't become a strong intermediate shooter? He'll either have to be a PF, or a bench tweener foward, which goes back to how he matures mass-wise.

Randolph could be a PF (ultimately will be smaller mass-wise than a traditional PF, like Odom), could be a SF, could be a tweener (bench)... or he could be able to play either spot with enough strengths in his game, so he's be a starter. Whereas being a tweener, the strengths and weaknesses are of equivalency, that it puts him to the bench. Unless he'd be on a less conventional or non-competitive team... for example starting at PF on speed-ball team, or just being a starter, at one or both foward spots, in the situation of a bad/young/developing team.

If he turns out like Derrick McKey, Odom, or Blatche (as he develops, depending), that'd be a quality turn out.

Right now, you can't say, at least more of, what foward he is, because he's so young and having to develop in various areas.

The serious questionability on some different aspects with Randolph, is partly why I prefer Thompson over Randolph.

Randolph I don't see generally being a primary/starting/solid PF in this league

I'm going to adjust that a little bit...

Rather than "I don't see", it should be "I question". Because the former is not what I've collectively felt since June and currently.

[OGSactownballer]

So we pick up Jerryd Bayless, and he becomes the guy behind Quincy Douby (the third-best scorer at VSL BTW) who already gets inconsistent minutes as AN UNDERSIZED SHOOTING GUARD! Or, we pick Randolph who gets buried behind any two of Artest/Francisco/John as an undeveloped underskilled 4 in a 3 body.
Pick your poison here. Basically we were able to draft for need AND get most probably the BPA for OUR need at the time we picked. We have ended up with either of two redundant 19-year olds who would not see significant miutes on this roster for at least two and maybe three or four years. Or we could have picked one of the vast number of stiff big men or undersized guys who really lit up college that were available.

All in all I am very happy with the way we went.

[TB]

dubs fan roaming your board.

I saw Thompson play a couple of SL games, and i was very surprised at how good he looked. I think he will be a solid player for you guys down the road.

I guess it really depends on what position you guys were after. If you were after BPA i would assume Randolph, Speights, and Rush might have been better picks. But you can cancel out Rush since you have an absolute beast in Martin, and if (at the time) you had Artest and Garcia (and now greene for the future) at the SF, that makes Randolph redundant.

So it really was down to Thompson and Speights if PF was what you wanted. And while i think Speights is much more talented, i give Thompson the edge in bball iq and work ethic... that might be enough to warrant that pick.

Randolph will definitely be better though. He's gonna be a mix of Odom and TMac, only without being stoned all the time. actually, with SJax around, he might be stoned and drunk all the time... we will see.

[SoupOrSonics]

Randolph just seems like he belongs in Golden State, ya know?

So, Greene or Thompson? Who gets more minutes?