The Official Site of Anthony Randolph

Sun, Nov 9th 2008, 16:41

Rookie Randolph ready to show more

The butterflies started before the game. Warriors rookie forward Anthony Randolph knew Friday afternoon that he might play because forwards Al Harrington and Corey Maggette were out with injuries.

The butterflies began flapping harder as he walked to the scorer’s table, then harder when he checked into the game with 4:24 left in the first quarter, and even harder seconds later when he found himself all alone with the ball in his hands about 20 feet from the basket.

“My heart was beating fast,” said Randolph, who was making his Warriors home debut. “I was probably having a little panic attack when I shot that first one. But when I missed it, I was like, ‘OK, nothing worse can happen, so just come out there and play your game.’ “

Randolph said the nerves went away after the first shot rattled in and out, and he went on to prove what he has quietly believed all along — that he is ready to play in the NBA.

Even Coach Don Nelson — who had proclaimed before Friday that Randolph was not NBA ready — said he was impressed with Randolph’s performance: eight points, seven rebounds and one blocked shot in 17 minutes.

With the Warriors unlikely to have Maggette and Harrington tonight at Sacramento, Nelson might have to use Randolph as Brandan Wright’s backup again.

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