Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of comparing DJ Burns Jr. to Zach Randolph, right? It’s been a fun little project, and I wanna share how it all went down.

First off, I started digging into DJ Burns Jr.’s game. I watched a bunch of his highlights from NC State, especially their crazy run to the Final Four. I mean, this guy is a beast in the post! He’s got some serious skills on offense, not just a big body who throws his weight around. You can tell he knows how to work the angles and find the open shot. And I saw he was hitting around 55% from the field during the season. That’s pretty solid for a big man, right?
Then, I looked at some stats. Burns played in all 41 games for NC State’s miracle team, averaging around 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Not too shabby for a guy everyone seems to think will go undrafted. And it looks like he might even be playing for the Sono Skygunners soon. It’s funny, I found something saying his salary will be just 40 dollars a month. I don’t know if it’s true, it sounds crazy! But hey, maybe it’s just a rumor.
After getting a good feel for Burns’s game, I started thinking about comparisons. And Zach Randolph just kept popping into my head. I mean, both of these guys are lefties, they’re both strong as hell, and they both know how to use their bodies to score down low. So, I dove into some old Zach Randolph footage. The guy was a monster in his prime, a double-double machine. I watched how he sealed off defenders, how he used his strength to get position, and how he finished around the rim. It was like watching a master at work. He used his butt so well. I really admire that.
So, I started piecing things together. I made some notes about their similarities:
- Both are strong lefties who dominate in the post.
- Both have a knack for scoring in traffic.
- Both use their bodies effectively to create space.
- Both have a soft touch around the basket.
But I also noticed some differences. Randolph was definitely more polished and had a wider range of moves. He had that sweet mid-range jumper, which Burns doesn’t seem to use as much. And Randolph was a better rebounder, no question. Burns seems to have a better passing vision. He can find a man to pass on the court.

After all this digging and comparing, I put together a little write-up. I didn’t go full-on analyst mode or anything. Just some thoughts on why I think the comparison makes sense. I even found that some other people online, even Charles Barkley, are making the same comparison. I knew I was on to something! Even Zach Randolph himself praised DJ Burns, it’s so cool.
Honestly, this whole thing was just a fun way to dive deeper into both players’ games. I’m not saying DJ Burns Jr. is the next Zach Randolph, but I definitely see some similarities. It’ll be interesting to see how Burns’s career plays out, especially if he ends up in the NBA. Maybe one day, we’ll be talking about him as a star in his own right.
And who knows, maybe this little comparison will get more people talking about DJ Burns Jr. He deserves some more recognition, even though I think he will probably not be selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, which makes me a little sad. This guy’s got talent, and it would be a shame to see it go to waste. Anyways, that’s my little adventure comparing these two big men. Hope you found it somewhat interesting!