Zach Randolph: “once We Get Back In Place We’re Gonna Be A Team To Be Reckoned With”

Zach Randolph: “Once we get back in place we’re gonna be a team to be reckoned with”

If there is one team that really wants the lockout to end without missing very many games, I would think it would be the Memphis Grizzlies. It has taken years for Memphis to build a team that can last, sustain success, and be relevant in the NBA. Last year they stepped out of the realm of inferiority and into the NBA playoffs thanks in large part to Zach Randolph. Not only was it a surprise that Memphis made the postseason, but the number eight seeded Grizz shocked the NBA world with their stunning upset of the San Antonio Spurs. While their playoff run ended in the seventh game against Oklahoma City, the young Grizzlies took huge leaps in their development and the thought of a lockout would kill some of that momentum they had gained in the Western Conference playoffs.

Zach Randolph joined 1070 the Fan in Indy with JMV to talk about what he has been doing this offseason, what the feeling was like in Memphis during the magical playoff run, what it’s been like trying to stay in shape this offseason, and what he thinks about the Grizzlies this season, if there is a season.

What he has been doing this offseason:

“I’ve been working out, laying low, and staying with my family. I hope we can get it resolved, get something worked out, and be able to play this season.”

What the feeling was like in Memphis during the playoff run:

“It was a great feeling. The feeling was unbelievable. You could feel it. You can still feel it. Winning a playoff, going to the second round, game seven, it just got us hungry. We want to win a championship and to tell you the truth we are really ready to compete. That’s why I say the lockout happens when things are turning around, but once we get back in place we’re gonna be a team to be reckoned with.”

How tough it has been to stay in shape during this offseason:

“It’s really tough. I’m doing this new training called chameleon training. It’s like special ops and I’m just training and it’s really tough. The trainer said the training that I had been doing was illusion training, like I had been doing fake training all these years. It’s something different for me and it’s good for me. I have just been working out with him every day, taking my daughter to school, and hoping we can get something worked out and get this season going on in time.”

If he feels like he has an advantage being left handed:

“Oh definitely. The scouting report is left hand, left hand, left hand, but most of the league is right handed so a lot of guys push me left. It’s definitely an advantage for me. The game is fundamental in skills and I feel I got a lot of that. I’m not the most athletic guy in the world, but I know how to play the game and have a good knack for the ball. Just continue to work, stay in shape, and come in and really try to win a championship. I’m talking to my guys about winning a championship. Rudy Gay is coming back and we’re gonna add another piece. I think we’ll be able to compete with anybody.”