
A couple of NBA draft leftovers:
Golden State Warriors VP of basketball operations Chris Mullin says Anthony Randolph has star quality, and there’s no reason not to believe him. Randolph is young, lean and raw, but he’s got a combination of size and skill that is intriguing.
Mullin also said the Warriors were “amazed” that Randolph had fallen to No. 14, and that they had him much higher on their own draft board.
In other words, Randolph slipped, and it’s likely because of questions about his attitude and work ethic. Randolph was known to coast through some of his pre-draft workouts, and he preferred working out alone rather than against competition.
We already know Randolph is rail thin. So if he’s not overly motivated, either, that would suggest Richard Hendrix, apparently with a pro body and tireless work ethic, will be wearing Randolph out in training camp.
Not to say Hendrix is going to see significant playing time. He won’t. But he’s going to get a few minutes at backup center, whether he is undersized or not. He almost has to. Any doubt coach Don Nelson is going to go with the more seasoned, more experienced player next season? And that would be Hendrix. If you don’t think the draft is all potential these days consider that Hendrix, selected no. 49, was first team All-SEC and Randolph was honorable mention.