Anthony Randolph's Long Road to Russia

In the 2008 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Anthony Randolph with the 14th overall pick, and everything fitfully went to hell from there. That year's draft also produced Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love. But Randolph, 25 years old, is not even on an NBA roster. Instead, he's in Russia preparing for his first season with Lokomotiv Kuban.

"I'm not motivated to prove anything to anybody who doesn't believe in me. I'm motivated to prove something to myself. That's all that I care about," says Randolph. "I just want to get the opportunity to play the game that I love no matter where it is, whether it's Russia or the NBA."

Before he was a journeyman, Randolph was a prodigiously talented rookie. But he struggled in his first season, playing 63 games and averaging just 17.9 minutes per game for a Warriors team that would finish with a 29-53 record.

However, in the last eight games of the season, Randolph was finally unleashed by head coach Don Nelson. During that stretch, his minutes jumped to 32.3 minutes per game, and he took advantage. He averaged 15.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in April to close out the season. This was the Anthony Randolph the basketball world had expected.

The momentum carried into the NBA Summer League. Randolph had a dominant run, best remembered for a 42-point performance against the Chicago Bulls. When you watch the highlights of that game, you realize why Randolph was such a tantalizing talent.

"First of all, it was his size. He's so long and has a wiry body," says Stephen Silas, who was an assistant coach on Nelson's staff during Randolph's time with the Warriors. "You add that size to all the skills he has, especially the ability to handle and shoot the ball and to make plays off the dribble. It made him a very intriguing player. There aren't too many guys that possesses the skill set he has."

After his summer league performance, Randolph was among a group of young players invited to Team USA's minicamp. Silas credited Randolph for working hard during that summer to bulk up, and coming to camp prepared to make a substantial leap in year two. Indeed, Randolph did make a leap: he averaged 18.5 points, 10.3 boards, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes. But an ankle injury ended his season early; he only played in 31 games.

The ankle injury that ended his season early was soon followed by rumblings that Nelson and Randolph did not get along. The rumblings gave way to rumors that the organization was open to trading him. And during the off-season, the Warriors did just that by sending Randolph to the New York Knicks in a sign-and-trade for David Lee.

"Of course I wanted the opportunity to get more minutes and get more responsibility, but for whatever reason that didn't happen," says Randolph of his time with the Warriors. He declined to speak about Nelson directly and took a measured approach in remembering his time with the Warriors, "I don't look back on it and blame the team or anyone about it. It was just one of those things that just happened and I just have to use that as a learning experience. Everything that happens in your life is for a reason."

Anyway, the Knicks seemed like an ideal spot for Randolph at the time. Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo system matched Randolph's game and he had turned similar athletes like Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion into superstars in Phoenix. Even D'Antoni was excited about the acquisition of Randolph, proclaiming that he would be a stat magnet on the team.

But Randolph never found a consistent role in D'Antoni's rotation. He played behind Stoudemire and was dealt midseason, a cog in the massive three-team deal that landed Carmelo Anthony in New York. Randolph spent a year and change in Minnesota, then another two seasons in Denver. Which brings us to now.

It's difficult to come up with a particular reason why Randolph never blossomed. Some may point to his work ethic. Some would say that he's never gotten a consistent run with a single team. The truth is, Randolph's fatal flaw might be that he's a jack of all trades, master of none sort of player. Added to the fact that Randolph hasn't found a team willing to prioritize his growth and development, and it becomes easy to see why he's seemingly spent his whole professional career adrift.

"Situations are always a key for a guy. If you're at a right place at the right time, you can really flourish," says Silas. "Based on the things [Randolph] can do, if a team was patient with him and committed to working with him, I think he could be great and he'd find a fit in the league. But it's hard. There's a lot of turnover among players and teams are always trying to win. Plus you have younger guys coming in who become more of a priority. So it's tough."

For Randolph to get that chance, he'll have to convince an NBA team that he's developed the specialized skills that can make him valuable as a role player. Silas thinks that area can be rebounding, and believes if Randolph can focus on that, the rest of his game will come. After all, he's still just 25 years old.

"I have a lot to work on and a lot of areas in my game to get better at," says Randolph. "I'm nowhere near being a polished player or a great player, there's a lot of room for improvement and I'm willing to take the steps to do that."

Randolph's Russian team, Lokomotiv Kuban, would seem to be something of an ideal landing spot for a young prospect already cast aside by the NBA. Kuban won the Euro Cup in 2013, and participated in the 2013-14 Euroleague last year, advancing past the group stage before being eliminated in the Top 16. It's a fresh start for Randolph on a team that has legitimate ambitions—and is located on the Black Sea.

"I knew they were a great organization, and I talked to a few American players on the team," says Randolph. "It was a good opportunity to play basketball and to enjoy myself. I was a little nervous coming to a new country, the language barrier is an obstacle to overcome. But I've come here with an open mind."

Randolph is already getting acclimated to his new surroundings. This summer, Randolph's fiancee gave birth to a baby girl. His newborn and fiancée will join him in Russia later this month. This season could be the start of a long productive career in Russia, or it could be the launch pad for his eventual return to the NBA.

However things play out, Randolph's career remains as open-ended and uncertain as it's long been. Far away from the NBA, he remains a talented young player, but his chances of making good on the long-ago hype are narrowing.