Derek Bodner’s Blog

(originally posted at PhillyArena.net)

Energy, rebounds. Rebounds, rebounds, energy, offensive rebounds. That’s about the typical dialog you hear every time Shavlik Randolph enters the ball game. And while the thought of praising the rookie is a good one, it is a little unfair as well.

The fact of the matter is that Shavlik Randolph is giving the 76ers more than rebounds and energy. He’s being labeled as a hustle player, and while an honorable distinction it is also selling him a little bit short. It’s true that right now Shavlik Randolph is giving the 76ers a tremendous spark off the bench, and has been a volume rebounder on a bench that previously rotated in Steven Hunter and Lee Nailon, both of which were rebounding liabiities. But not only is he an energy guy off the bench, he’s an energy guy off the bench with solid fundamentals as well as ball skills. And that, my friends, is a nice package for a guy making the equivalent of minimum wage that every team passed on twice.

The most impressive part of Randolph’s game, to me, has been from a mental aspect. For one, he has an obvious knowledge of the game. Watch his defensive rotations, his positioning. This is a man who understands the concepts of the game. Credit both the esteemed Coach K at Duke as well as Randolph for being a capable learner. The other impressive aspect of his game has been the consistency at which he has produced since being inserted into the rotation. 8 games have gone by that Randolph has been a part of the regular rotations, and in all 8 games he has given a positive contribution. For a rookie with as little experience as Randolph, that is nothing short of amazing.

You can see shades of this kid having offensive ability. Nothing amazing, we won’t be seeing Pau Gasol in a year or two. But the soft hook shots, the passing ability, the touch around the rim, it is all very intriguing. Right now Shavlik Randolph is in the perfect position, he has the ability to help the team right now by being a volume rebounder, giving the 76ers energy and limiting his mistakes, but he also has the ability to hone his skills and to develop his talent at the ultimate stage, a talent that was undeniable coming out of college.

For whatever reason his career at Duke did not go as planned, things have been going better than anyone could have expected at the professional level. For everyone’s sake, lets hope that continues. Because at this point, Shavlik has earned the role of first big man off the bench, by a decisive margin.