MEMPHIS, January 10, 2011 – Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 3 through Sunday, Jan. 9, the NBA announced today. It marks the first Player of the Week honor for Randolph in his 10-year NBA career.
Randolph posted 28.0 points and 14.3 rebounds on .559 shooting (33-of-59 FG) in leading the Grizzlies to a 2-1 record, which included home victories over two of the Western Conference’s premier teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz. The 6-9, 255-pound forward was the only NBA player to rank in the Top 5 for scoring and rebounding during the week.
After starting the week with a team-high 31 points and 16 rebounds on Jan. 4 vs. Oklahoma City, Randolph rolled on with 26 points and 11 boards on Jan. 7 vs. Utah. Both the Thunder and Jazz entered their games with the Grizzlies at least 10 games above .500.
Following those two wins, the 29-year-old again led Memphis with 27 points and 16 rebounds on Jan. 8 at Oklahoma City, his career-high seventh consecutive game with at least 20 points while shooting better than .500 from the field.
One of the NBA’s elite post scorers and rebounders, Randolph is averaging a double-double for the fifth consecutive season (19.7 points, career-high 12.7 rebounds), the second-longest active streak in the NBA behind Orlando’s Dwight Howard (seven from 2004-11). Building on his All-Star campaign from last season, Randolph is on pace to eclipse his own club record for rebounding (11.6), set in his first season with the Grizzlies in 2009-10.
Randolph becomes just the second Grizzlies player ever to earn Player of the Week honors and the first since Pau Gasol for the week ending March 26, 2006.