Zach Randolph: Best Season By a Grizzly Ever?

The Commerial Appeal makes the argument that Z-Bo — who very few predicted would be anything but an out and out disaster in Memphis this year — may have had the greatest individual season in team history: “About 15 franchise records tied or broken and seven months later, Randolph is about to finish what he started in Birmingham, Ala. The Grizzlies will try again to secure their first non-losing season in four years tonight when they face the Denver Nuggets on the road in the Pepsi Center. No matter what happens in the Grizzlies’ final two games, Randolph is winding down arguably the greatest single-season performance of any player to work for the franchise in its 15-year history. Heck, one would have a tough time arguing that any other player in a Grizzlies uniform did more to impact the team’s record. That’s not a slight to former Griz forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim or Pau Gasol. It can be stated as fact given Randolph’s productivity. Randolph leads the team in double-doubles with a team-record and career-high 56. Only Orlando’s Dwight Howard owns more. Roughly 78 percent of the Grizzlies’ victories (40) have come when Randolph has scored at least 20 points. ‘There are guys who put up numbers and don’t win. That was the knock on me,’ said Randolph, who will finish with his fourth straight NBA season with a double-double average. ‘People said he averaged a double-double but he’s always on a losing team. It would be nice to finish at least .500. It’s been nice being in the right team situation. I felt like this fit like a puzzle. I’m in my prime. I feel like I’m in the best stage of my career as far as playing.”‘