Take the shot blocking ability of Tayshaun Prince, the ball handling skills of Lamar Odom and the quickness and athleticism of Shawn Marion. You’ve got yourself a game changer. A three-four hybrid forward that can dominate in today’s high-paced, above the rim, up-tempo style NBA. Those are pretty big expectations to live up to but that’s exactly what scouts and GMs alike see when they look at young Anthony Randolph’s upside. Whether he can ever fulfill his seemingly endless potential is the real question.

So who exactly is Anthony Randolph? Coming into last year’s college season, not many people outside of Baton Rouge had heard of the lanky, LSU freshman.

A consensus top prospect coming out of high school, Randolph had the unfortunate luck of entering the college ranks in a year that has turned out one of the greatest freshmen classes of this era. With O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love garnering most of the nation’s media attention, Randolph became an afterthought when talking about the NBA’s next generation of stars.

It wasn’t until midway through the season that Randolph started to turn some heads. With his points per game hovering at a respectable 13.1, the month of February saw Randolph take his game to the next level, averaging 20.1 points per game, including four double doubles, during the last nine games of the season.

The most athletically gifted big man in this year’s draft, Randolph’s physical attributes are what separate him from his competition. At 6’10’ and with a very lean frame, the comparisons of a young Chris Bosh or Brandan Wright are undeniable. With an incredible wingspan, guard-like speed and amazing agility for a player his size, there isn’t much this high flyer can’t do on the floor.

The biggest concern seems to be what he needs to do off of it. Listed at a svelte 220 pounds, Randolph is still weak for his height and will need to continue to build muscle and bulk up if he wants to be able to have any presence under the basket. After being pushed around and beat up in the post in college, Randolph will be in for a rude awakening if he doesn’t improve heading into his rookie season.

Unlike some of the other top prospects entering the draft, Randolph is still very much a work in progress. His biggest weakness coming into the NBA could soon turn into his biggest strength as he continues to grow and mature.

An excellent weak side defender, Randolph has the ability to alter shots in the lane, get a hand in the passing lane, or dominate the defensive boards. The problem is his lack of defensive awareness and poor decision making. Leaving his man to get the highlight reel block, gambling for steals and some less than stellar defence in the post are a few characteristics of his that have left some to wonder whether Randolph will have trouble adapting to a quicker, more complicated defence in the NBA.

Though, with experience and practice, there’s no telling what he can do defensively. His quickness allows him to keep in front of smaller, faster forwards, while his size and presence on the wing can force teams into sloppy turnovers and bad shots.

Offensively, he possesses some very basic back to the basket finesse moves, that will need to be developed if he wants to succeed in the next level. Randolph lived mainly off his instincts in college, and as teams have found out in the past, ala Gerald Green and Tyrus Thomas, athleticism without solid basketball fundamentals won’t get you too far.

On the other side, his face up attack and one-on-one skill set will create mismatches right away. His quick first step along with explosive leaping ability should lead to an abundance of breathtaking dunks and spell out trouble for opposing defences.

A natural lefty, Randolph seems just as fluid going right, which will help create space and allow him the option of taking it to the hoop or knocking down the 15-footer. While not the most aesthetically pleasing jump shot, Randolph can still knock down the open jumper if defenders play off him.

As is the case with most long term prospects, there are almost as many questions about Randolph’s game as there are answers. Concerns about his defensive lapses, strength and lack of polished skills will follow him into the draft, but in this case the positives far outweigh the negatives.

A projected top-15 pick, as long as he lands with a team with patience who can bring him along slowly and the fans don’t mind enduring a few growing pains, Randolph could very well turn into the biggest steal of the 2008 draft. Talents like this don’t come around very often and when they do you can be sure there will be a long list of teams lining up to take a chance on this fabulous freshman.

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