BBNBA Season in Review: Nick Richards

Continuing with the BBNBA end-of-season wrap-up, it’s time for the third Charlotte Hornet, Nick Richards. Following a breakout junior season at Kentucky coupled with a worldwide pandemic, Nick earned a spot in the NBA but didn’t get a whole lot of opportunity to prove himself on the court.

Here’s how his NBA and G-League season went and where Nick can progress from here.

Numbers

Season averages (per game): 0.8 points, 0.6 rebounds

G-League averages (per game): 17 points, 10.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 3.0 blocks

Shooting splits (G League): 52% FG, 80% FT, 52% 3P on 1.6 attempts per game

More (extra & interesting) stats

• Played in just 18 games with the Hornets
• Never played more than 8 minutes
• Took only 9 shots
• Led the G-League in blocks per game

This past season

Given the complications of a global pandemic and that Nick was a second-round pick in last fall’s draft, it was unlikely he’d see the floor much for the Hornets. Throw in the fact that they played above expectations and actually competed for a playoff spot, which shortened the leash for young projects like Richards, and he was never going to play extended minutes.

However, Nick was able to showcase himself in the NBA’s G-League bubble. Richards appeared in 9 games during the bubble and you can check out his stats right above. They’re pretty darn good.

He scored 17 a game but a lot of guys can fill it up in the G-League. It was his shooting and defensive numbers that will have raised eyebrows in the Charlotte front office. He led the G-League in blocks per game, swatting 27 total shots, and shot over 50% from 3.

My old stats teacher Eddie Noe would tell us to calm down and realize that the shots came from a small sample size, but still, Nick made 7 of 14 three-point shots in real games. His form looked great.

In college, Nick rarely shot threes, but when he did, he was awkward and hesitant. In the G-league, he fired them off with confidence. He took his sweet mid-range jumper and extended it. Whether he can knock down threes with efficiency at the next level over the course of a season is unknown, but there’s a base to work with.

Though he was a benchwarmer in Charlotte, his G-league contributions will earn him some opportunity in the coming year.

Looking ahead…

As with most second-round guys, year two will be the critical year for Richards. Teams don’t typically invest nearly as much time into later picks, and if they haven’t seen production after two years, franchises will usually move on.

So Nick is in a prove-it year, but the good thing is: he’s in a great position.

The Hornets were shallow at center last season with just Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller, and both of them missed time at various points which forced P.J. Washington to play nearly half of his minutes at center. This offseason, both Biyombo’s and Zeller’s contracts expire as they’ll enter free agency.

That leaves a Dukie and a Wildcat to fill the hole. Nick Richards and Vernon Carey are the only true centers left, but it’s almost assured Charlotte will either bring back one of the expiring guys or bring in another big to fill the hole.

Either way, Charlotte is going to give the two youngsters a shot. Technically Nick’s contract expires soon, but in his postseason press interview, he talked like he would definitely be back next fall.

I think Nick is going to thrive. Is that the eternal optimist in me? Absolutely. But the evidence is in the tape. His best G-league performance, a 26-point, 10-rebound, 4-block stat line, came against the G-League Ignite team. You know, the team that shoehorned in several top high school recruits. Nick dominated them.

The reasons Nick can succeed in the NBA are evident in that game. He smothered people at the rim, ran the floor like a gazelle, converted 9-10 shots and splashed a pair of threes.

He’s mobile, incredibly athletic, and is a sure-handed finisher and rebounder. If he can block shots and finish around the rim, he’ll get real minutes for Charlotte. If he does that and adds a 35% stroke from three, he could win a regular rotation spot.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. He needs to out-battle Carey for minutes and hope that Charlotte only signs one center in the offseason to leave the battle up to Richards or Carey for the backup spot.

It’s a big year ahead for Nick and I believe in him. Sophomore Nick Richards is back but this time he’s ready to take the NBA by storm.