Zach Randolph=Mike Sweetney???

Sweeets50

Rookie
If u look at Randolph's and Sweet's first two years the stats are nearly identical (It's kinda scary). Randolph exploded in his third year and dominated his opponents no one could stop him. He was arguably edged out of the all-star game. I have always had alot of faith in Sweetney and his potential. He could really bust onto the scene in '05.
 

pyotrveliky

Rotation player
yea, zach rebounds a little better, i wish sweetney did more of that. sweetney actually had percentage points more blocks than zach. weve been developing him nicely so lets hope he keeps up with zach lol
 

Ted

Benchwarmer
Sweetney's rebound numbers are actually almost identical to Randolph's. Sweetney's rebound rate last year was 16.3 compare to Randolph's of 15.9 and per 48 minutes on their careers Sweetney grabs 13.8 compared to Randolph's 13.2 (13.3 vs. 13.2 this past year).
I too have noticed the similarity between their first two seasons. At the same time Greg Ostertag's first two years are only slightly less similar to Sweetney's, so I'm not ready to celebrate quite yet. And, to be honest, I'm not a huge Randolph fan. He puts up 20 and 10, but he doesn't do anything else to make his team win: he doesn't make the players around him better on offense and certainly doesn't do so on defense. So basically he's a good player, but he's overpaid and you can't build a team around him. The reason this is relevant is because, like Randolph, Sweets is athletically and vertically (well really it's horizontal that's the problem: he's fat) limited. That said, I'd be ecstatic if Sweetney could go out and win a starting spot and put up 15/20 and 8/10. He and Frye might compliment each other nicely down the road, or we could perhaps use him in a trade for a long athletic guy who can defend (wishful thinking maybe).
 

hoop115

Benchwarmer
The reason why Randolph was able to come out in his 3rd year is b/c the Blazers traded Rasheed to the Pistons. They saw what Randolph could do in his 2nd year during the playoffs as he was coming off the bench when Sheed would get in early foul trouble.

If you watch Randolph, his size and athletic ability allow him to finish in the paint. He is big and strong enough to bang to with the big men in the paint and athletic enough to easily dunk it underneath. He also has a really nice shot to step out and hit the open J.

Sweetney has the size and strength but does not possess the athletic ability. More often then not, he'll be banking a shot off the glass. His J is decent but not great. That's where will miss Kurt Thomas.

Randolph is actually a little bit more co-ordinated. He does alot of spinning. His footwork is sensational. But sometimes he tries to do too much and get caught by the weak side help. He hasn't learned to pass out of the double teams well yet. He has a really high turnover ratio for a big man.

But like said before, he doesn't really contribute much else to the team. I wouldn't really say that he can't make the team better b/c everyone on that team is either his age or younger than him. He does not play D and is definitely a cancer to the team.
 

a knick fan

Benchwarmer
zach r. is more athletic than sweetney. hes a more ferocious offensive player. he plays with a little more intensisty, while sweetney plays more calm and cool and just blocks guys out to get good position because he weighs so much. sweetney has much ebtter character than randolph, and is a much better team guy.

overall ,randolph is probably a better player, but i still think sweetney deserves at least 30 minutes a game this season to show what hes got. i think he will prove to be a good rebounder and a decent scorer. he will need to work to cut down on his fouls and play better defense against quicker opponents.
 
This is an interesting thread going...
I like Sweetney, he has been a model citizen and hasn't caused any chemistry problems. His buzzer-beater last year cemented his teammates' respect, and I think he'll be a solid player.
The comparisons to Randolph are interesting, and I see the similarities. Who knows what Sweetney can do.
If he does get 30 minutes a game, I see him giving us 13 and 8, which I'll gladly take. He doesn't have to be a scorer (we have plenty of guys who take too many shots already), just a big body who can rebound. I think he'll fill this role nicely. He doesn't have to be a great leaper, just a tough-nosed rebounder. If he's half as rugged as Oakley was, I'll take it.
 

furious lord

Benchwarmer
:afro:
If Sweetney loses around 15 pounds he will be a beast in this league. Toward the end of his rookie season he was in better shape, was almost unstoppable on the boards (when he stayed out of foul trouble)and has great hands. He also does what KT couldn't do, get to the free throw line. Defenders bounce off of him, if he gets down to around 265 with his leaping ability and deceptive quickness, he could be an All Star with the right coaching. I've seen him grab rebounds over guys much taller than him. That's why so many teams ask for Sweets when the Knicks wanna trade, they know the potential he has and how difficult it is to defend against him. The only reason I would trade him is because we got 3 other rookies and could use a good veteran at the 4 if he's available. But unless we get a proven 20 and 10 guy in return, I'd keep Sweets.
 

Peach_NYK_21

Starter
I read something in Newsday a couple weeks ago, that Sweets has done a decent jlob this offseason working out... he may have lost something like 10 pounds, ill try and find the article at their website
 

Brian_Coleman_21

Rotation player
Randolph is a lot quicker and can handle the ball a lot better then Sweetney. I understand what your saying, that they have similar stats, but they both, in a way, of different types of game.
 

portega1968

El Cacique
Sweets' weight problem signals a lack of commitment. Most of his boards come from offensive rebounds from his own missed shots. I'm pretty sure Larry will start Malik instead of Sweets. Sweets and Jamal will be traded for some better D in the middle. So, get used to the fact Sweets is on his way out.
 

hoop115

Benchwarmer
sweets weight problem isn't a lack of commitment. it's just that some dudes are naturally bigger than others. he's been large since college and he dominated the tourney scene at Georgetown.
 
I like Sweetney, but I simply do not think he is a starter in this league. His conditionoing is terrible and he does not seem to be the physical presence you would expect gh. I am also concerned about Brow's tendency to play veterans and I can easily see Mo Taylor getting the bulk of minutes under Brown. I hope not, but it is a concern...
 

Big C

Benchwarmer
Sweetney is overrated. Zach has more talented. Zach can post, shoot and create his own shot. Sweetney can only post up.
 
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