Speaking after the Suns‘ 119-109 win over the Wizards, Kevin Durant addressed his new teammate Nick Richards. He noted that Richards has already spoken to himself and Devin Booker about how he sets screens, and how they and other players on the roster should position themselves so he can get the best results possible.
“Just keeping it simple, we’re not planning to make the game too tricky. We can dive deep into the angles of the pick-and-rolls, and where I want you to set it for me, which angle is the best for me but we’re trying to adapt around him…”
“We try not to overthink it too much and let that stuff happen naturally. The nuances of the game, that’ll happen naturally, he’ll figure that stuff out. He’s already coming to me and Book with suggestions and the guards on how he wants to set screens and where he wanna roll”
Richards had a positive performance against the Wizards, putting up 20 points (7-12 FG), 19 rebounds, one assist, and one block. It was by far his best performance in a Suns jersey, with him putting a new high of rebounds with the Suns, and second-highest scoring total since being traded to Phoenix.
Richards is clearly working quite well with the team so far. It is still early days, as he has only played four games since joining the Suns from the Charlotte Hornets. During this four-game stretch, Richards has averaged 13.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks.
Richards’ arrival has been a blessing for the Suns, as they have 3-1 in his first four games in the orange and purple jersey. The hope right now will be that as Richards gets more playing time, he can build more chemistry with the roster, and eventually become a 15-point and 10-rebound player for the Suns by the time the playoffs begin.
Richards Seals Starting Spot With Suns
It appears that immediately after arriving, Nick Richards has secured the starting spot at center for himself. The Suns had been struggling at the center position for quite some time, with Jusuf Nurkic not performing at the level needed for the franchise to find success.
And prior to the Suns making the trade for Richards, the Suns had been on a downward spiral, even falling to the 12th seed. This is when coach Mike Budenholzer made the decision to bench Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal.
Jusuf Nurkic has found himself not being played at all at this point, having missed nine consecutive games since the first week of January. Speaking yesterday, Nurkic noted that he had no relationship with Budenholzer. It appears that there is a major issue brewing between the two sides in Phoenix.
Going forward, the Suns might look to trade Nurkic away. If not, he will have to settle for being the third or fourth-string center going forward.
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