The NBA’s Surprise Beasts
In the third quarter of a Clippers game I was watching a couple weeks ago, Zach Randolph stepped to the free throw line and notched his 20th and 21st points of the night. After one L.A. announcer noted that Z-Bo had cracked the 20-point plateau again, the other was shocked.
“How did that happen?” he said. “I was sitting here watching the game with you; when did he get 20 points?” And this was coming from a man who’s watched Zach play every night for the past four months.
Chalk it up to the lack of athleticism, sometimes-indefensible shot selection, the fact that he doesn’t have the height to make up for that lack of athleticism, and/or the rep for being a terrible team player, but Zach has always been one of those guys who inexplicably produces more than his talent seems to warrant. Even when you watch him play an entire game, at the end you still check the box score and wonder, “How did he end up with 28 points and 12 boards?”
Call him one of the NBA’s undercover beasts. And if Zach isn’t No. 1 on that list, he’s a close No. 2 behind Kevin Martin.
The over-used buzzword with K-Mart’s game has always been “efficient,” but “deceptive” should be there as well. Even when you watch Martin closely over the course of a game, his stat line at the end of the night can still surprise you. As Dime’s Andrew Katz wrote in his feature on K-Mart in Dime #47: “His body almost begs for a defense’s disrespect … There’s nothing that anyone could tell him about his quirky form, his wiry frame, or his bony legs that he hasn’t already heard.”
Whether it’s Z-Bo, K-Mart, Troy Murphy, Emeka Okafor, David West or somebody else, who ranks among the League’s undercover beasts?
March 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Hoveys Home says:
David Lee.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Ian says:
murphy easy
martin is overrated like redd and ellis
March 11th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
I told yall about Z-Bo, Jeff Green is up there too.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
tangman says:
al jefferson
March 11th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Sanpitch says:
i like how dime is doing some articles on the “other” guys and the “other” teams. keep it up.
but i would have to agree with post #4, al jefferson doesn’t get enough pub. watching him play he’s pretty quiet throughout and then you check the box score and he’s got some pretty good #’s.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
dagwaller says:
Good posts. Ian, I completely agree with you.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Rondo. Dre Miller. Charlie Villanueva.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
charlie says:
ramon sessions
March 11th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
ticktock6 says:
In this vein, David West pulled down the quietest 20 boards I ever saw in a loss at Atlanta the other night. Or maybe, the most bizarre 20 boards, seeing as David West doesn’t jump.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Coop says:
I think Andre Miller is a good shout. Lee? Rondo? are you guys on crack? in whose world are these guys ‘undercover’? Get out.
Okafor isn’t very good so he’s out. He’s dalembert v1.1. No dice.
Maybe Caron Butler; he always seems to do more than you thought.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Mike F says:
Thats why I always loved zack, scores without the athelticism just grinds it out.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
D.Head says:
I’m not a spurs fan at all but Roger Mason Jr. is the new Bruce Bowen and will kill opponents with that corner 3
March 11th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Big Island says:
Caron is a beast and Troy Murphy is nice too. Gimme Travis Outlaw in the last few minutes of a game too. Seems like he is always doing something.
March 11th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
haslem says:
RAMON sessions (seriously)
but these guys tend to be under appreciated until they become over appreciated.
March 11th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
jdub says:
John Salmons and Linas Kleiza
March 11th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Taj says:
Travis Outlaw… He hits big shots and is very consistent with his numbers!
March 11th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
GoEasy says:
Man you know the raps bigs are bad when dalembert is playing with the swagger he’s got tonight…
March 11th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Crash
Zydrunas (high profile team but lives in someone’s shadow)
Biedrins
Boris Diaw (he’s French but if you don’t respect him he is liable to drop a triple double on you)
Ronny Turiaf (give him the time and he’ll put up legit numbers, I promise)
March 11th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
LA says:
man it seems as if the clippers announcers get more play on this website than some of the actual players.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Austin Burton says:
@LA — I watch a disproportionate amount of Clippers games on League Pass.
@ticktock6 — I watched that same Hawks/Hornets game, and couldn’t believe that West had 20 rebounds.
If there’s such a thing as the opposite of a surprise beast, I find myself thinking Jermaine O’Neal does a lot more than his numbers show. Like I’ll watch Miami and think, “J.O. did alright,” then I see he only had six points and two rebounds.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Young Lebron 23 says:
@ D-head
does mason jr play D
March 11th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Al Qaeda Jada says:
I wouldn’t call Bobby Simmons a beast but he always manages to contribute something to the stat sheet and I never notice the guy
March 11th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Willis says:
Kevin isn’t overrated, speshly now that teams key in their defense on him. Strange thing is, he will score like 25 to 30 on like 9 shots. It’s very weird. I remember one game where he was like 1 for 8 against Orlando and he still had 20 points.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
gmoneykidd says:
Rip Hamilton. Gets buckets on everyone!
March 12th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Luigi says:
nick young
March 12th, 2009 at 12:32 am
M-Vac says:
Wally Szczerbiak
March 12th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Raj S says:
Z-Bo has to take this crown. He averages more points per game than Amare Stoudemire and just as many rebounds per game as Tim Duncan.
March 12th, 2009 at 2:07 am
rocky lobs says:
andre millers midrange can be amazing to watch when he gets a kickout from the post. once he knocks down about 2-3 in a quarter he’s straight water.
March 12th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Hoveys Home says:
How can Coop say we’re on crack for mentioning David Lee but then in the very next sentence mention an all star like Caron Butler??
March 12th, 2009 at 5:02 am
Frank says:
Antawn Jamison is #11 in PPG (21.7) and #11 in RBG (9.1) and coming off a double-double season (21.4/10.2), but it goes almost unnoticed since the Wizards really suck this year.
March 12th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Talented says:
Paul Milsap
March 12th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Kudabeen says:
This year it’s Murphy he is playing up to his contract…
March 12th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Coop says:
@ Hovey,
Caron, as far as I’ve seen, doesn’t get much love from the media or the casual fan. Lee, however, despite being simply ‘decent’ gets huge love from NY mentalists (fans and media alike). As such, one tends to look for Lee, but I’m certainly more surprised by the impressive numbers Caron puts up.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Mikey says:
I think Tim Duncan fits the undercover beast mold. Everyone knows he is going to get 20 and 10 each night. Then you watch him and think, “Hmm, must be an off night.” Then you check the box score and, sure enough, he got his 20 and 10.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am
MSkittle says:
I used to feel that way about Gary Payton.. Now it’s David Lee
March 12th, 2009 at 10:52 am
YOUNGFED..."I got 2 balls I'ma pass'em to ya Baby Mama" says:
Surprised no ones mention Nate Robinson yet…What-Da-Dilly-Yo?
however Dime no ones sleeping on Zach he’s most def Top five PF’s in the NBA.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
hucklebuck says:
Brandon Roy (doesn’t look fast, but is quick wit it)
Troy Murphy (8 3s in one half?)
Al Jefferson (good, solid consistent numbers)
Joe Johnson (has the loudest/quietest game in the league)
Rondoooooo (intangibles, Boston can’t advance w/o him)
David Lee (Boards beast)
Caron Butler (mad game, versatile scorer)
Antawn Jamison (same as Johnson-says nothing, plays big)
Andre Miller (same as Rondo-is engine that drives 76ers)
Zach Randolph (aside from WTF PLAY AGAINST CAVS a couple days ago, sneaky scorer)
March 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
doc says:
Stephen Jackson
March 12th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
hucklebuck says:
Stephen Jackson-yes, when he is into the game and not complaining to refs.
Paul Milsap-yes. Boozer should stay on the bench behind him the rest of the year.
March 12th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Promoman says:
Zach isn’t a surprise at all, but I’d put Kevin Martin ahead of him seeing as how he’s a better fit on a team than Zach and is more valuable. If Zach wasn’t such asshole, he’d be #1 easily.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
kerem says:
i’m loving the coverage of the ‘other’ guys and ‘other’ teams as well.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:52 am
thomasmmm says:
andre miller / nate robinson
March 13th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Johnny Stro says:
NBA players only get stripes based on win columns- sad, but such is baller life!
NB
Cap’n Jack- Steven Jackson
Antwan Jamison! is better than East All-Star Bench 4s-… Caron Butler is just crusing, not even tryin’ (really- but ignore teams stats)
David Lee’s an ‘all-star’ (playin better, #s than Tim right now)
Who do…? HEDO Turk’!
NJ Nets Backcourt- DH & VC
Andre Miller- loud game, but can he speak?
$ Odom Contract Yurrrr Showcase! $
March 13th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
mookie says:
Tayshaun Prince
March 14th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Jei says:
1. N E N E
2. Mo Williams
March 15th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
jdub says:
@doc
I forgot all about S-Jack. An even more forgotten fact: He has a ring.
@Jei
Yet someone else i forgot about. Personally I would have put him on the All-Star team.