Grizzlies should move on from Randolph

Basketball Betting Lines

05/28/2010 - Philadelphia, PA - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There aren't a lot of NBA players with the ability to put up double-doubles on a consistent basis.

Memphis power forward Zach Randolph is a member of that exclusive club, but it hasn't stopped him from moving from city to city over a nine-year NBA sojourn that has featured multiple arrests and a ton of innuendo.

The Grizzlies thought Randolph turned the corner this past season. He played hard on a consistent basis and was successful enough to be named to the NBA All-Star team.

In fact, he built up such goodwill that Memphis general manager Chris Wallace was willing to come to his defense after Randolph was implicated in an Indianapolis-area drug investigation earlier this week.

"Since Zach Randolph joined this organization, he has been an active member of the Memphis community and embraced our core values of hard work and leadership," Wallace said. "These qualities helped him develop into an NBA All-Star this season and guided one of the NBA's youngest teams to a 16-game improvement.

"Zach's continued commitment to the team has been evident the last couple of weeks as he's been working out with members of our staff on the West Coast.

"Due to the ongoing police investigation, we do not feel it would be appropriate to comment further. Unless some other information surfaces, Zach remains a valued member of the Grizzlies family and Memphis community."

Well, plenty of other information is about to surface.

Indianapolis' 6News has reported a trusted police informant identified Randolph as a "major" marijuana supplier in the city after narcotics officers were staking out a suspected drug house on Indianapolis' north side two weeks ago when they pulled over Arthur Boyd, 32, after he left the residence.

According to the report, the Cadillac Escalade Boyd was driving was registered to Randolph, and police found marijuana and ammunition stowed inside.

Randolph has already played dumb, claiming he loaned the SUV to his friend but had no knowledge of his activities.

Problem is, the police found information in the Escalade that led them to a storage facility where there were four units rented in the name of Randolph. Controlled substances were in two of the units as well as four cars fitted with hidden compartments.

Randolph's attorney, John Tompkins, described Boyd as Randolph's longtime friend who runs errands for the All-Star and takes care of his home in Indianapolis during the season. Tompkins also claimed the secret compartments were used for hiding valuables since Randolph, like a lot of NBA players, could be a target for burglary.

The police aren't buying it and described Randolph as a "financier" to drug dealers, supplying them with marijuana, vehicles and a house in a probable cause affidavit filed in Marion County Superior Court.

Wallace was right to play the "everyone is innocent until proven guilty" card but if you look at Randolph's legal resume, it might be a good idea for the Grizzlies' general manager to start building a contingency plan.

Randolph's history with the law dates back to 1999 when he was suspended for his entire junior year by Marion, Indiana High School after selling a stolen gun.

After being selected as the 19th overall draft pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Draft straight out of Marion in 2001, Randolph was cited for underage drinking in 2002.

The Blazers suspended Randolph for two games and fined him $100,000 in 2003 after he punched teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during practice, fracturing Patterson's eye socket.

A second DUI came in December of 2003 when Randolph was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants after police smelled marijuana in his car.

Criminal charges in August of 2004 were filed after Randolph allegedly lied to investigators after his brother shot three men at a nightclub. Those were subsequently dropped, but Randolph's brother was sentenced to three years in prison.

In June of 2006, Randolph was cited for street racing with friends in downtown Portland. Two months later, he was charged with sexual assault, although that case was also eventually dropped.

Randolph was then faced a civil suit from a man who claimed he and teammate Qyntel Woods harassed and assaulted him in retaliation for dogfighting allegations against Woods.

In March of 2007, Randolph was granted bereavement leave by Portland after the shooting death of his girlfriend's cousin, and spent the night at a strip club. That would have probably gone unnoticed but Zach had the good sense to leave without paying his tab.

And less than two months ago, Randolph was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, a charge later reduced to one count of reckless driving.

Closed circuit to Chris Wallace -- Smoke is usually accompanied by fire, and the smoke burning here isn't just coming from Zach Randolph's hippie-lettuce.

It's conceivable that Randolph and the $71 million dollars he has accrued since debuting in the NBA can beat this latest rap, but does Memphis really want an accused drug dealer that has been tied to dogfighting, sexual assault and attempted murder in the past as one of the faces of its franchise?

A double-double is only worth so much.