The Memphis Grizzlies have granted forward Zach Randolph an indefinite leave of absence after his mother died on Thanksgiving, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Her death is the second to occur during the holiday within the NBA family after the death of Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Channing Frye‘s father was first reported on Thursday.
“He can take as much time as he needs to take to take care of his family and take care of himself and come back to us when he's ready to go,” head coach David Fizdale told reporters.
Zach Randolph has been coming off the bench since the start of this season, but has been impactful, averaging 14.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game despite not topping the 30-minute mark even once this year.
The Grizzlies have won seven of their last eight games, including six in a row (third-best streak in the NBA). While JaMychal Green will be expected to log minutes in the high thirties, Memphis will need Deyonta Davis and Jarell Martin to play solid minutes off the bench in Randolph's absence, given the team's already thin at the forward and center positions.
Follow Us
Subscribe