International Prospect: Ryan Richards

[Bruno]

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/basketball/2010/draft/players/images/ryan-richards.jpg
Height: 7-1
Weight: 247 lbs
Birthday: 04/24/1991
Team: Gran Canaria (Spain)
Country: England

[Anonymous Cowherd]

For he himself has saaaaid it
And it's surely to his creeeedit
That he is an Englishman
He remains an E-e-e-e-e-e-e-eeeeenglish....man!

[admiralsnackbar]

7'1?

For some reason my memory filed him under 6'9, like Dice.


I know: great story.

[mountainballer]

7'1?

For some reason my memory filed him under 6'9, like Dice.


I know: great story.

w/o shoes: 6' 10.5"
in shoes: 6' 11.75"
weight: 230
wingspan. 7' 1.5"
standing reach: 9' 2"

that's how he measured before the draft. might have grown another inch since then, considering he's not 20 yet. however, he can be labeled 7 footer.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

since then he's been measured as 7ft barefoot, 247 lbs weight

[TimmehC]

since then he's been measured as 7ft barefoot, 247 lbs weight

Spurs have been giving him hormone treatments to make him grow lol.

[Bruno]

7'1?


Yep:
http://www.hoopsfix.com/2010/11/richards-now-a-legit-7-footer/

[Maddog]

He's only 19, men grow sometimes until they're 23.

I grew an inch in college - which percentage wise is a less-
David Robinson was only 6'9" his first college game

However if his epiphyseal plates haven't fused a little rHGH wouldn't be a bad thing....
(just kidding)


Richards really sounds intriguing, however I am going to be cautious-
Ian always looked good -> athletic big hard working- unfortunately he has yet to develop a feel for the game.
That said the most encouraging thing I've heard aother than his physical measurements is that he can shoot and has post moves..

Anybody heard any rumors of what the Spurs plan to do with him next year?

[ChumpDumper]

Barring a lockout, I wouldn't be surprised if they let him enter the D-League draft then have the Toros draft him or trade for him so they can develop him without his being on the Spurs' payroll. There is now a precedent for that.

[ChuckD]

I grew an inch in college - which percentage wise is a less-
David Robinson was only 6'9" his first college game

However if his epiphyseal plates haven't fused a little rHGH wouldn't be a bad thing....
(just kidding)


Richards really sounds intriguing, however I am going to be cautious-
Ian always looked good -> athletic big hard working- unfortunately he has yet to develop a feel for the game.
That said the most encouraging thing I've heard aother than his physical measurements is that he can shoot and has post moves..

Anybody heard any rumors of what the Spurs plan to do with him next year?

Actually, DRob was either 6"6" or 6"7" when he enrolled in Annapolis.

[8FOR!3]

So next year he'll be around 7'1 250 lb. If he has really put on that much muscle he's gonna be scary.

[sasffl]

He is left-handed, right? He reminds me of David Robinson. Actually, spurs need a lefty to join in Manu for the spurs lefty club. We have prominent lefties such as Artis Gilmore, David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Manu Ginobili. Also you guys can add Beno Udrih & Nick Van Exel to the club. Hope he can be in the roster next year. Any prominent spurs are lefty that I don't mentioned?

[Master splitter]

Will he be playing center or power foward? He's a mix of dirk,Garnett, and bosh.

[NewJerSpur]

Not sure about Splitter at this point, but I can't wait to see this kid in action whenever they call him up.

[Master splitter]

Easy now! He'll most likely start at center next season. For the toros.

Yes I know that but with his weight and height changing what position. But I doubt he'll play for the toros, we need him. Bonner, Blair, and mcdysse are awful.

[ChumpDumper]

No one has even seen this guy play a game of basketball.

[spursbird]

Yes I know that but with his weight and height changing what position. But I doubt he'll play for the toros, we need him. Bonner, Blair, and mcdysse are awful.
Pop won't play a rookie big unless his age>25

[NewJerSpur]

No one has even seen this guy play a game of basketball.

:hungry:

[Anonymous Cowherd]

Richards is a power forward, he can play at center simply because he's so frickin' big. But if he comes good then a 7'1" PF... scary for opposition defenders

[yavozerb]

No one has even seen this guy play a game of basketball.

I cannot remember a player with so much expected and yet nobody could tell you anything about his game..pretty funny :lol


Richards is a power forward, he can play at center simply because he's so frickin' big. But if he comes good then a 7'1" PF... scary for opposition defenders

His size is about all he's got going for him right now...Hopefully his skill level is not far behind

[ChumpDumper]

No summer league and a likely shortened season? I think that raises the chances that Richards is allowed into the D-League draft.

[tdunk21]

all his highlights show his offense....looks like his defensive capabilities are unknown

[ChumpDumper]

I feel that the Spurs should just sign him to a multi-year low paying deal. This way they can send him to the D-League for the full two years if needed and even if he sucks his potential and cheap price tag could be easily moved.Why do that if they don't have to sign him at all and still have him play for the Toros? After covering his medical costs and rehab this year and knowing he doesn't want to go back to Europe, it may be possible.

[objective]

what will happen to the d-league in the event of a lockout?

[ChumpDumper]

what will happen to the d-league in the event of a lockout?Great question. I'd have to look back at the CBA, but offhand I can't think of anything that would keep it from having a season with only D-League players -- but there might be a drop in quality of the players who choose to participate.

[Master splitter]

No one has even seen this guy play a game of basketball.

You tube?....anyone. Clips plus 10 minutes of an actual game. The guy is going to be good trust me.

[yavozerb]

You tube?....anyone. Clips plus 10 minutes of an actual game. The guy is going to be good trust me.

:lmao, seriously....

[Spur-Addict]

He's actually serious with the Youtube comment LOL

[Master splitter]

Yes.. Lol seriously. Everyone laughed at me when I said Neal was going to be talented. Lol and he had a 2 minute clip. So what if it's you tube, does that make him a different player? Your eyes are seeing the same thing you would if you were actually there. Anyway Richards will be very good but who knows.

[spursbird]

Yes.. Lol seriously. Everyone laughed at me when I said Neal was going to be talented. Lol and he had a 2 minute clip. So what if it's you tube, does that make him a different player? Your eyes are seeing the same thing you would if you were actually there. Anyway Richards will be very good but who knows.
Hey you haven't watched his single game, have you? So how can you judge him?
And anyone can tell me if Dice will play the next season? If he stays, then there will be no chance for Richards to be on the roster.

[stnick2261]

Hey you haven't watched his single game, have you? So how can you judge him?
And anyone can tell me if Dice will play the next season? If he stays, then there will be no chance for Richards to be on the roster.

IIRC McDyess was always planning on retiring after this season.... then there was a rumor where he said he wanted to play next year, but it was followed up shortly with an interview with the Detroit press where he said he hurts after every game and still plans to retire this summer

[NewJerSpur]

IIRC McDyess was always planning on retiring after this season.... then there was a rumor where he said he wanted to play next year, but it was followed up shortly with an interview with the Detroit press where he said he hurts after every game and still plans to retire this summer

Dice just wants to see Richards too.

:hungry:

[Man In Black]

I can't remember, is he ground bound or is he a high flyer?
What's his vert?
Okay...it's 25 inches so he's in the middle but he's a true 7 footer.
http://www.nbadraft.net/nba-draft-combine-athleticism-test-results

Interesting Vids
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/ryan-richards

[ChumpDumper]

You tube?....anyone. Clips plus 10 minutes of an actual game. The guy is going to be good trust me.So you haven't seen him play a game of basketball, like I said.


Yes.. Lol seriously. Everyone laughed at me when I said Neal was going to be talented. Lol and he had a 2 minute clip.Link.
So what if it's you tube, does that make him a different player? Your eyes are seeing the same thing you would if you were actually there. Anyway Richards will be very good but who knows.You just said you know.

[Maddog]

I ran into Richards tonight for the first time since around Christmas. Physically he's grown about two inches and put on about 10 pounds of upper body strength. He must be living in the Spurs gym and weight room.

Is he allowed to scrimmage with the team (officialy)
I know a blog update on MySA said he was working out with the coaches...

It would be interesting to see him with some of the guys.

[Maddog]

Of course. I remember Viktor Sanikidze came in for a rehab and played with the team for a bit a couple years back. The only reason anyone couldn't scrimmage and workout with an NBA team is if they were a draft prospect and it was under the table.

Infering from what you've said and what has been written I owuld bet he has scrimaged with the guys and the Spurs have a reasonable idea of what they have-

Your coment earlier about the time frame of 18-23 I think is accurate. Look at Mahinmi

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the Spurs are fairly tightlipped about all things and are not letting anything out about this Kid- wether he is a Ian type (perpetual intriguing prospect) or a contibuting player.

[yavozerb]

Infering from what you've said and what has been written I owuld bet he has scrimaged with the guys and the Spurs have a reasonable idea of what they have-

Your coment earlier about the time frame of 18-23 I think is accurate. Look at Mahinmi

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the Spurs are fairly tightlipped about all things and are not letting anything out about this Kid- wether he is a Ian type (perpetual intriguing prospect) or a contibuting player.

In all honesty I do not believe even the spurs know exactly what they have...With Richards being out of basketball with surgery since being drafted I think the spurs are just now learning about the kids work ethic and skillset.

[Obstructed_View]

I can't answer how, but supposedly before and after the surgeries Richards spent a lot of time in the weight room. Not sure why.

So he can shoot lots and lots of threes.

[NewJerSpur]

So he can shoot lots and lots of threes.

He can do WHAT.....:hungry:

[Obstructed_View]

He ain't seeing floor time any other way.

[NewJerSpur]

Lifting weights + infinite range = :hungry:

[NewJerSpur]

Well his skill level is actually pretty good. He played in the Nike Hoop summit in 2006 or 2007 with Beasley, D-Rose, Batum guys like that. And he has a perimeter shot so that's a plus as well. He told me he feels comfortable playing 3, 4, 5. Don't get excited or anything yet, but he could be a good role player with the proper development.

Hard not to get excited, however prematurely, hearing comments like that from the young man Phila.....but for now, I'll try to just patiently let the situation develop and look forward to him competing for a spot, then after that we can start the talk about hanging his jersey from the rafters.

[Thomas82]

Well his skill level is actually pretty good. He played in the Nike Hoop summit in 2006 or 2007 with Beasley, D-Rose, Batum guys like that. And he has a perimeter shot so that's a plus as well. He told me he feels comfortable playing 3, 4, 5. Don't get excited or anything yet, but he could be a good role player with the proper development.

For some reason, my gut tells me he'll be a little more than a good role player. I really think he'll be a steal for us. Two of the biggest reasons I feel that way: Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich. If we can develop Ryan Richards the right way and Tiago Splitter improves the way we know he can, I think we can have a nice frontcourt.

[Uriel]

He was one of the youngest players in this previous draft. He turns 20 here in a few days. Not many players that age have that much experience. I would say that Channing Fry is a good comparison. Not a best case maybe, but a realistic development chance.

So, his best case is better than that?

[Uriel]

I'd say his best case is a combination of Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

How terribly disappointing, then.

[spursbird]

I'd say his best case is a combination of Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
:lmao
I'd say he's a combination of Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson and Blair together. He can play one on five and we'd go 82-0.

[Thomas82]

So, his best case is better than that?


I'd say his best case is a combination of Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.


How terribly disappointing, then.


:lmao
I'd say he's a combination of Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson and Blair together. He can play one on five and we'd go 82-0.

In all seriousness, once he's fully developed, I think he can cause matchup problems for opponents with his size and strength in the paint and his outside range. Also, don't forget that he's left handed.

[benefactor]

In all seriousness, once he's fully developed, I think he can cause matchup problems for opponents with his size and strength in the paint and his outside range. Also, don't forget that he's left handed.
This is what I was thinking. He could wind up like this...or he could be nothing. TBH, I'd but his best case scenario at Lamar Odom.

[ChumpDumper]

what will happen to the d-league in the event of a lockout?I noticed the D-League open tryouts are still on for June, so things just might be moving ahead independent of an NBA lockout. It would be interesting to see how things shake out if November and the D-League draft/training camps come to pass without any resolution in the big show.

[yavozerb]

His skill set is similar to Chris Bosh with more range. He also has the upside to be a better defender and shot blocker than Bosh.

:wtf, and you base this comparison how?

[Thomas82]

His skill set is similar to Chris Bosh with more range. He also has the upside to be a better defender and shot blocker than Bosh.

He's also bigger and probably stronger than Bosh.

[ChumpDumper]

Never has so much been written...by so many...who know so little.

[yavozerb]

By watching him, He has a great jumper already out to 3 pt range. He can put the ball on the floor very well for a man his size. I would not be shocked if this guy played SF.

He has a nice hook shot and turn around jumper in the post albiet he needs to get a higher degree of angle on his shots in the post as they are somewhat flat.

Watch Bosh and whatch Richards.

Richards is already bigger and stronger, and seems to have a fire in his belly missing from almost all current spurs. If this guys health holds up, and Pops hires some one to coach bigs that knows what the hell they are doing this guy could be a stud.

He was a bigger steal than Anderson, and I think anderson is a future 17ppg guy.

Ok, I am just curious where have you seen Richards play?

[TimDunkem]

Ok, I am just curious where have you seen Richards play?
www.youtube.com

[Spur-Addict]

This Youtube shit is hilarious

[yavozerb]

www.youtube.com
Thats what I figured that most of you guys were watching...I too used to base players talent level off of youtube and then this happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aXqwUXy2cw , best youtube of all time. Live and learn my friends..

[Maddog]

Thats what I figured that most of you guys were watching...I too used to base players talent level off of youtube and then this happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aXqwUXy2cw , best youtube of all time. Live and learn my friends..

HOLY &%$@
Is this guy available!!!!??

Does anybody have his rights?

[TDMVPDPOY]

dunno why you guys are so high on him when he played against scrubs for his competition

while some of you guys are givin splitter shit? fck this

[Master splitter]

I will buy my Richards jersey in advance lol right about now this all we can count on,him and an injured shooting small foward. It's all over people we don't have a prayer.

[NewJerSpur]

In England last year before the draft. I could not believe he didnt go in the first round. Way more upside than half the first round picks last year.

While I only saw him in 3 games agains college level talent, you could see this guy would have been a top 3 high school player in the US had he been here.

He plays with Nick George who was a good D1 player at VCU a couple years ago. Loul Deng was also in the game and Richards got the best of him several times down the floor.

He needs PT to get some experiance but I will tell you he has great upside as a PF/SF.

:hungry:

[yavozerb]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmUX9yX5__4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM0C6P3Iuow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGioqjGwSOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHulYwuzMDM

Couldnt find these posted anywhere and looks like he is working with spurs staff

[Master splitter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmUX9yX5__4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM0C6P3Iuow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGioqjGwSOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHulYwuzMDM

Couldnt find these posted anywhere and looks like he is working with spurs staff

Cool, thanks for the clips

[Maddog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmUX9yX5__4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM0C6P3Iuow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGioqjGwSOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHulYwuzMDM

Couldnt find these posted anywhere and looks like he is working with spurs staff

Interesting, A quick search suggests that is Alex Lloyd assistant with theToros
(may even say this somepwhere but the sound is off my computer for the moment)
Looks like it is overseas looking at the FT cone

[Anonymous Cowherd]

http://www.youtube.com/user/coachdribbledrive

for people who really want to do some research - lots of footage

[admiralsnackbar]

Looks like it is overseas looking at the FT cone

You're probably right, but I know Richards has been in town for workouts. DaSean Butler tweeted about going to the mall w/ Richards a few weeks ago.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

The videos were filmed in Kent in England, where Ryan's from

[Anonymous Cowherd]

San Antonio Spurs draft pick Ryan Richards (1991 born) has confirmed to Hoopsfix he will be playing with the Great Britain Under 20s team this summer at the Division B European Championships in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Despite spending the past season rehabbing from two shoulder surgeries, the 7’0″ big man who is about to start going full 5 on 5 again in the coming weeks, is extremely confident of Great Britain’s chances to get that much desired promotion to Division A. So confident in fact, he guaranteed a win when we spoke to him exclusively last week at his home in Kent:

“We’re gonna win. I can tell everybody that now. We’ve got a strong team, as long as we keep the chemistry right and stay focused there’s no doubt in my mind we’re gonna win.”

Richards is well aware that his biggest knock is his lack of competitive action but is hoping to use the European championships to get back in game shape and get better:

“For myself, I wanna play well. I wanna get back out there, get in game shape and get my rhythm back. Whatever my numbers are, that is what it is. I wanna leave the tournament knowing I’m getting my rhythm back and I’ve improved.”

The GB side, who are expected to field one of their strongest junior teams in recent years, have been drawn into Group C where they will face Czech Republic, Finland and Norway. The tournament tips off on the 14th July 2011.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

Interview from TODAY!


-Last June you were drafted by San Antonio. Some months later you are still sidelined due to an injury. Can you explain what have you been doing all this time?
I have been in San Antonio rehabbing both my shoulders, getting ready for the summer and next season.

-How is a regular day for you?
I do an hour of rehab every morning, a hour in the weight room alternating between low and upper body, and then on the floor for 3 on 3.

-When do you expect to come back and play at top level again?
Sometime next week.

-This summer Great Britain plays in the Eurobasket in Lithuania, starting in a tough group with the hosts, Spain and Turkey. What do you expect from the tournament?
It's going to be a great challenge for Great Britain and a great chance to prepare for the Olympics in 2012.

-Do you want to make the final british roster? Will you play with the U-20?
As for the mens roster I am not even thinking about that right now. I am just focused on the task ahead which is winning the gold and the MVP in the U-20 European Championship (Division "B"). And proving I'm ready for the NBA.

-Finally, if there is a lock out in the NBA what do you want to do?
Right now I am not sure, everything depends on how I perform this summer.

[ChumpDumper]

Interesting, A quick search suggests that is Alex Lloyd assistant with the TorosThat's him. Good eye.

[DPG21920]

Since he has gotten taller, to me, it appears he has really gotten slower. Hard to tell because he isn't going full speed, but he looks much more clumsy now than I remember.

[Maddog]

That's him. Good eye.

Nope
In one of the few a watched a closeup of his shirt said Toros
Looked at there coaching staff on the website and gooled his name first and there he was...
Anybody know the when and where of the video
I'm not getting my hopes up but they are investing a lot of time and effort in him.

Of course the Spurs have done this before withe Girecek and Javtokas as far as medical help.

[TimDunkem]

Thats what I figured that most of you guys were watching...I too used to base players talent level off of youtube and then this happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aXqwUXy2cw , best youtube of all time. Live and learn my friends..

I was only showing you where 2 Step evaluates talent for his in-depth scouting reports.

[NewJerSpur]

Skip the international play in the summer Ryan and save those shoulders for the D-League......:hungry:

[BackHome]

I remember watching the sports channel and some guy I forgot his name but he was a top ten draft pick in 2010 was asked who impressed him at the Chicago tryouts and he said the Brit ..Ryan Richards

[Solid D]

http://www.youtube.com/user/coachdribbledrive

for people who really want to do some research - lots of footage

Ryan looks like a salted slug in these videos. He sure needs to get into shape if he wants to play for his NT.

[Bill_Brasky]

Ryan looks like a salted slug in these videos. He sure needs to get into shape if he wants to play for his NT.

I'm impressed by the one where they're working on his post game....I agree he needs to get in better shape and pick it up a notch but those are just workout videos. He has a lot of promise.....

I'm hungry for a video of him and Duncan going 1on1..................:hungry:

[outmap]

Shoots his free throws with no support from the other hand, is he trying to make it difficult or he just shoots that way?
He's so slow in the videos, hopefully it's not a bad sign.

[NewJerSpur]

In some of the other videos with Ryan in real game action he looks pretty explosive albeit a little bit lighter, especially in his leaping ability. The thing that continues to stand out with me is his jumper and his ability for a 7' to handle the ball like a wing.

[IknowU]

Those latest videos make him look slow because that was a long non stop workout hes doing. At start he seemed energetic then slowly cbfed running around anymore.

[Uriel]

Chris Bosh? Lamar Odom? That's pretty tremendous upside for a mid-2nd round pick. If he can be half as good as what you guys suggest he could, there's no reason why he shouldn't take over the starting center role next to Duncan as soon as possible. He can space the floor after all. :lol

[5in10]

If you ask me, it looks like he has a couple more years to go. He looks very green and lazy in those videos.

[yavozerb]

The Ryan Richards hype is getting out of control!

Its been out of control for quite sometime now..When I see names like Bosh and Odom in this thread I know its time to move on to another topic..

[Ditty]

Just becsuse he is left handed and 7 feet means he will be a rich mans lamar odom and chris bosh lol, richards is not that talented, I think at best will be a 15 point 8 rebounds a game, I don't think richards is a good rebounder, or great defender, he is a good shooter, but needs so post moves and toughness and he will be a good player in this league.

[Bill_Brasky]

I also notice he has Tiagoitis in regards to his FT's. He brings it up to the top to shoot, pauses, then shoots, instead of making one fluid shooting motion. That has to change.

[DesignatedT]

Those workout videos look pretty weak tbh. He's playing against some scrubs and still can't dominate the game. He's still very young though but I wouldn't count on this kid helping much in the very near future.

[Maddog]

I also notice he has Tiagoitis in regards to his FT's. He brings it up to the top to shoot, pauses, then shoots, instead of making one fluid shooting motion. That has to change.


40/45 FT/FTA .889


Those latest videos make him look slow because that was a long non stop workout hes doing. At start he seemed energetic then slowly cbfed running around anymore.

Did well in the sprint and agility during pre-draft measurements
http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?year=2010&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&source=All&sort=16

[DesignatedT]

The scrubs hes playing against are college and pro players. Hes also playing at half speed, as many pros due in the off season so not to cause injury. You work on the concepts not the game speed.

This guy is plenty quick, just as quick if not more so than Dirk was at that age and that was never a problem for him!

Lol you keep comparing him to Dirk if it makes you feel better but that kid has a looong way to go to make it in this league imho.

[Spurs da champs]

I wish Timmy would try and be a mentor & if we do bring Richards over to the team, that he could take him & Splitter to school & teach them how to play.

[Bruno]

It's a little crazy to see people arguing about Richards while he is so young and has played no high level basketball games in his career.

So, instead of wild speculations, what about being patient. At that stage of his career, there is very few to say about him.

[BackHome]

Look we are probably never going to see another David or Timmy type of player in our lifetime. So you gotta make due with what you have and seven footers are damn hard to find. Is this guy as good as Dirk...No...is he as good as Lamar Odom..NO......Will he be a better PF then Bonner or Blair...YES.....so that is all I am looking for and if I can get that then I am one happy camper!

The dude also players with an attitude and that what we need on our team....More freakin Heart!......

[NewJerSpur]

Look we are probably never going to see another David or Timmy type of player in our lifetime. So you gotta make due with what you have and seven footers are damn hard to find. Is this guy as good as Dirk...No...is he as good as Lamar Odom..NO......Will he be a better PF then Bonner or Blair...YES.....so that is all I am looking for and if I can get that then I am one happy camper!

The dude also players with an attitude and that what we need on our team....More freakin Heart!......

Actually we won't know that until he suits up and hits the floor. :p:

:hungry:

[k_nguyen93]

I tweeted DaSean and Danny to get him on Twitter just yesterday and apparently they heard me! These guys don't even play and get stuff done unlike a certain Mr. Hill who promised us Tim, Bonner, and Neal months ago.

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz26/g0tricebeyotch/dasdas.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz26/g0tricebeyotch/fasfghrf.jpg

[ChuckD]

I tweeted DaSean and Danny to get him on Twitter just yesterday and apparently they heard me! These guys don't even play and get stuff done unlike a certain Mr. Hill who promised us Tim, Bonner, and Neal months ago.

Look up one post.

[k_nguyen93]

18kIdr4JX2Q _vv6W-lRhqY

Here's an extended interview with Richards from August of 2010. Sound quality isn't the greatest but I haven't seen this posted anywhere so thought I'd share. He seems to be very confident of his skills and ability to be more than just a role player in the NBA. I believe the guys he worked out the most with were Ekpe Udoh (6th pick), Cole Aldrich (11th pick), Daniel Orton (29th pick), and Hassan Whiteside (33rd pick). From the Kings videos, he seemed to be able to hold his own. He isn't the biggest guy but probably has the best handles and looking jumper (Aldrich's goes in at least :lmao).

Richards mentions that he believed the Spurs would have picked him at 20 if not for his shoulder problems. Worked out pretty well considering the Spurs got Anderson, Richards, and now Butler with later picks. These guys would all be lottery picks this year probably. Dick Vitale said Anderson was the steal of the draft so we'll have to see if he lives up to that next year when he's in shape and hopefully starting. He said the three teams he wanted to go to the most were Spurs, Grizzlies, and Knicks. Probably would still be on Knicks because of injury and not involved in that big trade. Not sure if he would have stuck with Grizzlies who have Darrell and Haddadi already. He seems really intent on playing in the D-League instead of going back to Europe. Seems like he got taken advantage of earlier in his professional career by European teams that he claims have this habit of locking up the young guys for a few years (Ex. Rubio) but only letting the veteran guys play (Ex. Jennings).

Some other videos:
5AfM-ZnmQBU
Sh3PM2kRZQo
QExcbYRrYCA
Mh4cMkKiAus
G5dqxH2m28U
nC_1U3cOGCw

[TimmehC]

Damn that jumper looks sweet. Also, did Aldrich learn his shooting form by watching RJ back in the day?

[k_nguyen93]

Damn that jumper looks sweet. Also, did Aldrich learn his shooting form by watching RJ back in the day?

I was thinking Boozer.

[Brazil]

Hello, my name is SpursTalk.com. I guess we haven't met yet.

:lol

[Spurs da champs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiANnojm34I

Richards' game in the video above reminds me a lot of Lamar Odom, down to the jump shot style and how he carries the ball on the cross-over. Too bad he is playing against high school students.
That jump shot is sweet, to bad he'll never play for us tho.

[NewJerSpur]

That jump shot is sweet, to bad he'll never play for us tho.

Why not? :hungry:

[Uriel]

At first, I thought the Lamar Odom and Chris Bosh comparisons were completely unjustified, but after doing a quick Google search on him and reading write-ups scouts from various websites (including NBA-Draft.net and Sports Illustrated) wrote on him, I was surprised to find the aforementioned names were floated around quite a number of times. Granted, it doesn't mean Ryan Richards is indeed definitely going to blossom into players of that caliber, but it does speak volumes to his immense potential.

[Maddog]

A word of caution before we get a little to out of hand with comparisons



Nikoloz Tskitishvili

[yavozerb]

A word of caution before we get a little to out of hand with comparisons



Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Niko was drafted #5 overall and therefore had much bigger expectations..Richards is a late 2nd rd pick so even he does not make it as an NBA regular then not nearly as big a deal for a franchise..

[Maddog]

Niko was drafted #5 overall and therefore had much bigger expectations..Richards is a late 2nd rd pick so even he does not make it as an NBA regular then not nearly as big a deal for a franchise..

I agree
however I was pointing out a player who had incredible workouts yet never produced. Similarly, few ever saw him in a game.
I suspect pre Niko and Darko Ryan would have gone much higher

[lmbebo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCMQ3DxXSP0&feature=related

compares himself to bosh and odom.

[IknowU]

more boshlike then odom.


Pop wont let him run around the perimeter running point like a headless chicken.

[Spurs da champs]

Why not? :hungry:

Pop?

[20beastie45]

I like his fade away....for a 7 footer it's extremely hard to guard!

ala Dirk. Comparing height not game.

[NewJerSpur]

Pop?

Pop gave Blair good minutes in his 1st year and even crucial PT in both rounds of the playoffs.....he also got Splitter in there in the middle of the series this year. The last time a rookie got cold stonewalled was Hill when the Spurs got beat by Dallas 4-1 in 2009.

I think the dude has a good shot at getting good minutes if he looks good in TC.

[yavozerb]

Pop gave Blair good minutes in his 1st year and even crucial PT in both rounds of the playoffs.....he also got Splitter in there in the middle of the series this year. The last time a rookie got cold stonewalled was Hill when the Spurs got beat by Dallas 4-1 in 2009.

I think the dude has a good shot at getting good minutes if he looks good in TC.

I would not count on a single thing, zero, nothing from Richards in the coming season..The kid barely has any minutes playing professional basketball in europe and some of you guys think he all of a sudden is ready to contribute against the best in the world..

[NewJerSpur]

I would not count on a single thing, zero, nothing from Richards in the coming season..The kid barely has any minutes playing professional basketball in europe and some of you guys think he all of a sudden is ready to contribute against the best in the world..

Well, we've seen High School players make the leap and he has been hanging around in SA from the talks working with staff with the team. I'm hoping for the best and that the league can negotiate something before the CBA is up or shortly thereafter so dude can get more run in the summer prior to camp.

[Spurs da champs]

Pop gave Blair good minutes in his 1st year and even crucial PT in both rounds of the playoffs.....he also got Splitter in there in the middle of the series this year. The last time a rookie got cold stonewalled was Hill when the Spurs got beat by Dallas 4-1 in 2009.

I think the dude has a good shot at getting good minutes if he looks good in TC.

Hill? Not Splitter for the entire year?

But I hope you're right about Richards.

[yavozerb]

If Bonner can get mins Richards surely can. I would role the dice with R Squared over Bonner any day.

:lol, talking out of your ass again...What exactly does Richards do better right now? If you come back with an answer you are talking our of your ass again cause nobody knows exactly what to expect from Richards..Dont come back with some youtube videos of practice or some other crap to prove your point either, Richards has never played against NBA caliber players ever..I am also intrigued with Richards but to think he will be an answer for anything in the coming season is foolish.

[ChumpDumper]

If Ryan Richards is a rotation player for the Spurs next year, the team will have been blown up and starting from scratch.

[ChumpDumper]

speaking of ryan richards, just found this article: http://www.mvp247.com/2011/05/ryan-richards-set-for-gb-bow/He's still playing with kids?

That makes me think he's going to sign a D-League contract and not one with the Spurs unless the assignment rules change -- but I guess if he really impresses he could be playing in the senior tournament.

[yavozerb]

He's still playing with kids?

That makes me think he's going to sign a D-League contract and not one with the Spurs unless the assignment rules change.

Thanks, for carrying that link cause I accidently erased it :lol..Agreed, this kid needs to simply play against older players for some kind of experience. D-league would be great for Richards.

[NewJerSpur]

Hill? Not Splitter for the entire year?

But I hope you're right about Richards.

The only rook in recent years that's gotten stonewalled was Hill. Splitter had an injury for a perioed of time but did get burn when Tim went down and got put into the lineup in the middle of the series. Could've used more run during the season, but I don't see that being an issue this year.....whenever it starts.

George didn't get any burn until the very end of the series in Dallas, even with the short bench and injuries of the Spurs.

I'm hoping for the best with Richard's as well.

[yavozerb]

You must be another dumb ass lib on this board. What does Bonner do other than shoot the 3 and puss out come playoff time?

Richards is bigger, a better ball handler, will be a better rebounder, better shot blocker, better passer, will be a better player.

I dont watch UTUBE to get my info, I scouted Richards and was a team mate of one of his best friends who I am also very close to and who plays pro over seas.

I cant believe how many people on this board have fallen all over Bismack who may be 25 years old because he had a good game against high school all stars, but Richards who by far shows more skill, is spoken off as a long term project.

Last year had he played in the Mc D all star game, he would have dominated. His skill level is clear. How many 7 foot guys handle the ball like a SG, can shoot the 3 off the bounce and have the makings of a solid post game......Name them. If he was American instead of playing pro for the last 4 years he would have been a top 3 high school player.

He is far and away more skilled than Tyson Chandler was coming out of the draft, and he would have been a top 5-7 pick this year.

He will be as good as he wants to be, had it not been for a shoulder injury he would have been a mid first rounder last year.

The spurs must get bigger, more athletic, younger and he is all three, to not get him mins next year would be a shame.

Look at the FA landscape, we are not gonna get any better if we dont make a deal or start to develop these young guys.

Until you stop making shit up you will have zero respect from me on your assessments of players. The only thing you can say that I agree with is that Richards has good size, everything is stuff you have no idea about but are guessing and hoping for in Richards. If you can show me some stats or video (against legit competation not kids) of all these talents you profess about then I will gladly agree with you but until then try sticking to the facts, and that is nobody knows what this kid is good or bad at right now in his career. Didnt think you could get any worse until you mentioned Richards domination of the mcdonalds game if he attended, thanks for the self imposed stupidity stamp :lol..

[NewJerSpur]

JA got minutes before the injury and would have been a regular had he not gotten hurt.....might've even taken RJ's minutes. Agree with Phila that Richards should be given a look, possibly in TC, and given time to develop or play his way out of the lineup if he shows promise in the samr way Blair got his PT as a rook.

[Uriel]

Phila_Chamberlain, if Ryan Richards were in the draft this year, around where do you think he would be drafted? First round lock? Lottery?

[yavozerb]

If Ryan Richards is a rotation player for the Spurs next year, the team will have been blown up and starting from scratch.


Gotta be honest with ya, I'd rather see Richards play 20 minutes a game instead of Bonner. Love Matt as a person, but honestly, we know what he can do and Richards has all the tools to be a really good role player, but lacks coaching and experience. You can practice all you want, tear up the D-League, and go to work on inner-squad games, but nothing compares to playing 15 to 20 minutes a night in 82 games with the lights on against players that can out play anyone any given night. Had Pop taken 2 or 3 rotation minutes from the big 3 and given them to Ian Mahinmi, Marcus Haislip, James White, [insert another end of the bench high potential player that never played] then the Spurs would either have a couple young or in their prime role players or those players would be overpaid on another team.

Pop has to realize that Butler, Green, Richards, Anderson, might not be game changers, but they could make the difference.

Chump is right on the mark, the more ryan richards we see, then the worse off the season is going..

[ChumpDumper]

Really though -- Haislip? White? Ian?

[ChumpDumper]

According to coaches I've talked to Haislip made some of the most amazing plays they had ever seen in practice. It was beyond them why he never played. James White, Malik Hairston and Pops Mensa-Bonsu were all players who tore up the D-League. And we all know Ian had all the talent to be a really good player, but how can you expect him to reach that level if he never plays?All these players had other chances in the NBA. Where are they now?

It's a fine line to walk; trying to win while giving welfare minutes to an inexperienced player is tough. In the cases you mentioned, only one is actually in the NBA and he's racking up DNPCDs for another team that wants to win and is winning without him. Hairston might come back, but his performance at a higher level than the D-League was pretty sporadic.

Dominating the D-League is pretty much required as an indicator of potential NBA success, but it certainly isn't a guarantee. You can take Ian as an example. He really only dominated in two areas in the D-League, scoring and team defense. The scoring numbers were inflated because he was simply taller, bigger and more athletic than the people guarding him. That leaves his team D, which actually carries over to the NBA pretty well, but his foul trouble also carried over and may well have been exacerbated by the better, bigger, faster offensive players he had to cover on on one.

I have high hopes for Richards, but going from playing children to NBA rotation players in a few month's time probably isn't going to happen. Hell, if the lockout goes like last time and the D-League stays on schedule, it's better for Ian to sign a D-League contract since he'll actually be playing and he'll have access to the Spurs staff and facilities.

[jjktkk]

The problem it seems, is that every young big the Spurs acquire, Spurs fans desperate for a big to pair with Duncan, want a savior big man starting from day one. Mahimni, Splitter, and now Richards, regardless if that big is young, raw, and inexpierenced. Understandable, but not realistic.

[yavozerb]

You are no doubt underage, so I wont waist much time on ya. Your respect is worthless to me. I have seen the man play, and unlike yourself my job requires me to evaluate players and help recuite them.

Richards has been playing pro for 4 years! These high school kids your talk about are actually pro- semi pro and college players.

What if the spurs could draft Austin Rivers right now, you would be all over it, yet he has only played against High school players!

Your a fool, again, go back if you can manage and find draft camp and see what NBA scouts had to say about Richards game.

Serge Ibaka never played against good talent, never. He played with piss poor HS players non which would make a D3 roster, yet he was a first rounder and in 2 years has turned into a dominate young defender.

Richards who is the same age, Bigger, more skilled and has played against pro talent since 15, you act like hes a long term project.

Please kid, get back in school.

:lmao, Your employer must be very proud they have such a knowledgable player evaluater at there disposal....:lmao

[ChumpDumper]

If he plays in the adult Eurobasket competition, I'll believe he'll have a small chance to play for the Spurs next season.

[TimmehC]

If he plays in the adult Eurobasket competition, I'll believe he'll have a small chance to play for the Spurs next season.

He's not on the team. At least not yet.

[JonNOKC]

I have family friend who is in operations side of Spurs Sports & Entertainment (mostly involved with Toros) - anyway he offered this buzz on Richards when we saw each other Mother's Day weekend - In practice sessions and 2on2/3on3 pickup play his ceiling offensively looks very high - he said in terms of facing basket and putting ball on floor as a 4 he is NBA ready (stated possibly good enough handles to play the 3 in certain matchups), but there were big question marks? In the same scenarios he lacked fundamentals defensively and some bad habits (specifically showed the ball too much/lack of protecting ball) on offense. The biggest concern is due to competition/coaching level he has been exposed to at this point, and the Spurs not having really worked with him in a 5 on 5 organized manner it is hard to gauge basketball IQ and how game translates against bigger/athletic competition. Also commented on FO still doesn't have a good feel for his level of work ethic/discipline (not that their is a problem there just a unknown in many ways) Anyway basically said some in FO seem very excited in his long term offensive potential, but also said he thinks would have to make real strides in BB IQ and physical/mental maturity and is long shot to play this year (not breaking news) but mentioned the people "sold" on this kid are hopefully excited he will play next to Duncan for at least one year.

We talked alittle about roster moves/changes - he seem to get the feeling the organization wouldn't be aggressive in terms of trades and of course don't have the cap space to do much FA wise - he said he thinks they are willing to listen to trades for just about anyone but didn't think they would be actively shopping anyone - says probably weigh cheap vets available vs some of the young talent currently in organization (Blair,Anderson, Butler, etc.) in terms of filling starter/bench roles so in many ways sounds like more of the same

Of course he said things can always change and the FO is tight lipped (again not breaking news) so as a mid level operation manager not like privy to much insider info

[ChumpDumper]

I should probably point this out, but my attention span is short and I am a very busy person. If your rebuttal is longer than my original point I will have a hard time finishing. This isn't just you, this also includes Kori Ellis, Timvp, ducks, etc.tl;dr

[NewJerSpur]

I have family friend who is in operations side of Spurs Sports & Entertainment (mostly involved with Toros) - anyway he offered this buzz on Richards when we saw each other Mother's Day weekend - In practice sessions and 2on2/3on3 pickup play his ceiling offensively looks very high - he said in terms of facing basket and putting ball on floor as a 4 he is NBA ready (stated possibly good enough handles to play the 3 in certain matchups), but there were big question marks? In the same scenarios he lacked fundamentals defensively and some bad habits (specifically showed the ball too much/lack of protecting ball) on offense. The biggest concern is due to competition/coaching level he has been exposed to at this point, and the Spurs not having really worked with him in a 5 on 5 organized manner it is hard to gauge basketball IQ and how game translates against bigger/athletic competition. Also commented on FO still doesn't have a good feel for his level of work ethic/discipline (not that their is a problem there just a unknown in many ways) Anyway basically said some in FO seem very excited in his long term offensive potential, but also said he thinks would have to make real strides in BB IQ and physical/mental maturity and is long shot to play this year (not breaking news) but mentioned the people "sold" on this kid are hopefully excited he will play next to Duncan for at least one year.

We talked alittle about roster moves/changes - he seem to get the feeling the organization wouldn't be aggressive in terms of trades and of course don't have the cap space to do much FA wise - he said he thinks they are willing to listen to trades for just about anyone but didn't think they would be actively shopping anyone - says probably weigh cheap vets available vs some of the young talent currently in organization (Blair,Anderson, Butler, etc.) in terms of filling starter/bench roles so in many ways sounds like more of the same

Of course he said things can always change and the FO is tight lipped (again not breaking news) so as a mid level operation manager not like privy to much insider info

:tu

Looking forward to hearing/seeing more.

[Thomas82]

It looks like the Spurs are trying to negotiate a buyout of Ryan Richards' current contract and either bring him in or assign him to the Toros.

http://www.projectspurs.com/2011-articles/may/spurs-actively-trying-to-bring-ryan-richards-to-the-team.html

[yavozerb]

Would love to see this kid develop in Austin and SA....He is still young enough that even if he doesn't its not the end of the world.

[SilverSpur]

Bring him onto the team. We need youth and he can learn from Tim before he retires.

[NewJerSpur]

It looks like the Spurs are trying to negotiate a buyout of Ryan Richards' current contract and either bring him in or assign him to the Toros.

http://www.projectspurs.com/2011-articles/may/spurs-actively-trying-to-bring-ryan-richards-to-the-team.html

GET'EM OVER HERE!! :hungry:

[DesignatedT]

definitely needs to be done.

[Bruno]

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=EB14BCC46F808312B352.3122?site=n ewsday&view=sports_blogs_item&feed:a=newsday_5min&feed:c=sports_blogs&feed:i=1.2985663


But the rule is that no player who is currently under contract or whose draft rights are owned by an NBA team can participate in the D-League during the lockout.

It sucks for Richards. If there is a lengthy lockout, he won't be able to work on his game with the Toros.

[ChuckD]

Wow. The d-league is going to suck even more than usual.

[ChumpDumper]

Too bad.

[Mel_13]

His agent should be looking for a European team that will play him at least 20 mpg. He doesn't need to sit out another year.

[ChumpDumper]

His agent should be looking for a European team that will play him at least 20 mpg. He doesn't need to sit out another year.I'm sure he'll be able to latch on to some lower lever club later if it comes to that. Hopefully he makes his senior national team so he can practice and play at a decent level through September.

[Mel_13]

He just needs to play.

[biggysmall]

http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/06/video-ryan-richards-is-back-highlights-with-gb-u20s/
Thought this may interest you all, granted its not the highest level of competiotion but good news at least. I n the past week he has also put up big numbers in 20mpg, 19ppg, 13rpg against the dutch u20s, will be intersting to see how they do in the euros as gb also have another highly rated 17 year old called devon van oostrum, a pg based in spain who may well end up in the draft in years to come. http://www.eurohopes.com/player/1164/devon-van-oostrum/

[Anonymous Cowherd]

van Oostrum made a few waves in the English basketball talk when he posted RIDICULOUS numbers in just THREE MINUTES of playing time in an ACB Under-18s match:

19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks

in 3 minutes. dayum.

[biggysmall]

inappropriate thread i know but more devan van oostrum footage from ydays gb u20 game, get to see ryan richards so maybe it just about fits in with this? i promise you its worth the 30 sec watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWcUG54nlGM

[Anonymous Cowherd]

woah mama :D

[pad300]

I guess we need to start a new draft prospect thread:

Devan Van Oostrum

Kid does appear to have some game...

[jjktkk]

Richards had a great game against Denmark in the FIBA U20 tournament.

http://projectspurs.com/2011-articles/july/spurs-richards-has-big-bounce-back-game.html

[xellos88330]

inappropriate thread i know but more devan van oostrum footage from ydays gb u20 game, get to see ryan richards so maybe it just about fits in with this? i promise you its worth the 30 sec watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWcUG54nlGM

Man... that hurt from here. Ouch, what a facial.

[8FOR!3]

12-23, 1-5 from three. He didn't have the world's most efficient game or anything, but 38 points is still something. He should be in Austin.

[mountainballer]

Richards had a great game against Denmark in the FIBA U20 tournament.

http://projectspurs.com/2011-articles/july/spurs-richards-has-big-bounce-back-game.html

don't want to downplay Richards performance, but we need to put things in perspective.
first off, the tournament starts at July 14th, the mentioned game was kind of a preseason or warm up game. and we are talking about the Divison B of the European U20 championship, this means this competition is outside the 16 best U20 teams in Europe, they play Division A.
(hell, even Austria U20 plays Division A. yeah man, Austria. Division B is really really poor competition).

[SenorSpur]

Good game for him, but at 7-feet tall, it seems to me that he should be a better rebounder than what he's displayed. Just sayin'.

[ChuckD]

Good game for him, but at 7-feet tall, it seems to me that he should be a better rebounder than what he's displayed. Just sayin'.

Rebounding is about desire, not height. Kawhi outrebounded a lot of college centers last year.

[mountainballer]

Good game for him, but at 7-feet tall, it seems to me that he should be a better rebounder than what he's displayed. Just sayin'.

you are telling from just one game?? there was this game in 2009, when Kevin Love only got 2 rebounds.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

don't want to downplay Richards performance, but we need to put things in perspective.
first off, the tournament starts at July 14th, the mentioned game was kind of a preseason or warm up game. and we are talking about the Divison B of the European U20 championship, this means this competition is outside the 16 best U20 teams in Europe, they play Division A.
(hell, even Austria U20 plays Division A. yeah man, Austria. Division B is really really poor competition).

I'll go one further - its EUROPE!

The competition is hardly comparible to an NBA playoff team. If Ryan or Davis or whomever the Spurs have stashed aren't DOMINATING over there, then they'll probably be less than OK over here. Splitter was an MVP of the league and he's average to below average over here...

[Buddy Holly]

I'll go one further - its EUROPE!

The competition is hardly comparible to an NBA playoff team. If Ryan or Davis or whomever the Spurs have stashed aren't DOMINATING over there, then they'll probably be less than OK over here. Splitter was an MVP of the league and he's average to below average over here...

Not how it works. There are some NBA players who are playing very well in the NBA but played like crap in Europe. Brandon Jennings for example.

There are talents that played very well in Europe who couldn't match up in the NBA.

As for Splitter, he wasn't an MVP in Europe but with that said, he is better than what he's shown.

[lmbebo]

his arms look short.

Hard to judge him against that competition.

[ChuckD]

Not how it works. There are some NBA players who are playing very well in the NBA but played like crap in Europe. Brandon Jennings for example.

There are talents that played very well in Europe who couldn't match up in the NBA.

As for Splitter, he wasn't an MVP in Europe but with that said, he is better than what he's shown.

Brandon Jennings hasn't played well at all. He's hyped, but he can't shoot over 40% from the field to save his life. He's a poor man's TJ Ford.

[Spurs da champs]

Brandon Jennings hasn't played well at all. He's hyped, but he can't shoot over 40% from the field to save his life. He's a poor man's TJ Ford.

a poor mans TJ ford? :rollin more like a wannabe Allen Iverson.

[Bruno]

Eurobasket U20 division B tournament has started today.

Ryan Richards has had a disappointing first game against Portugal:
12 points and 8 rebounds in 33 minutes.

website of the tournament:
http://u20men.fibaeurope.com/enDivB/

[yavozerb]

Eurobasket U20 division B tournament has started today.

Ryan Richards has had a disappointing first game against Portugal:
12 points and 8 rebounds in 33 minutes.

website of the tournament:
http://u20men.fibaeurope.com/enDivB/

4-11 fg, 0-4 3pt, 4 to, 4-7 2pt shots...Lets hope his love of 3pt shooting goes away before he gets to SA and he works on his game inside the arc 1st and foremost.

[Ocotillo]

4-11 fg, 0-4 3pt, 4 to, 4-7 2pt shots...Lets hope his love of 3pt shooting goes away before he gets to SA and he works on his game inside the arc 1st and foremost.

Meh, he must have been working out with Bonner when he was here in SA.

[objective]

is there a way to watch these games?

[yavozerb]

http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/07/gb-u20s-shocked-by-portugal-in-opener/

Read the notes on the bottom of the page..Is it possible to be in the doghouse after only 1 game?

[benefactor]

I don't think it means he is in the doghouse. He was just benched late...for obvious reasons. I would venture to say it was more about sending a message to him.

[yavozerb]

I don't think it means he is in the doghouse. He was just benched late...for obvious reasons. I would venture to say it was more about sending a message to him.

Message sent... Lose by 3 pts with your top player riding the bench during crunch time..GB coach must be watching Scott Brooks footage from the playoffs or something.

[benefactor]

From the looks of he performance...it doesn't look like having Richards in the game would have changed the result.

[yavozerb]

From the looks of he performance...it doesn't look like having Richards in the game would have changed the result.

Well never know at this point since the game was probably played in a middle school gym with no video. Could care less about the result or Richards performance for that matter. As long as he makes through this summer healthy its all good. Kid just needs more PT and development to refine his game. Time is on his side right now, no worries..

[Bruno]

Given that Richards has mainly been productive in the first quarter and that he hasn't played for a full year, lack of conditioning seems like a good explanation of what happened in this game.

[yavozerb]

Given that Richards has mainly been productive in the first quarter and that he hasn't played for a full year, lack of conditioning seems like a good explanation of what happened in this game.

2 pts and 2 rbs in a half for a 7fter at this level..I agree his conditioning may not be up to par, but damn, give me at least some rebounding. Oh well, hopefully he will bounce back next game.

[dylankerouac]

Meh, he must have been working out with Bonner when he was here in SA.

:lmao

[elemento]

4-11 fg, 0-4 3pt, 4 to, 4-7 2pt shots...Lets hope his love of 3pt shooting goes away before he gets to SA and he works on his game inside the arc 1st and foremost.

Yeah 100%

I would hate to have a british Channing Frye in SA.

[Bruno]

He's had a better game today against Finland:
28 points (7/16 FG, 0/2 3P and 14/17 FT)
9 rebounds
6 assists
4 turnovers
4 blocks
12 fouls drawn
in 33:38 minutes

Even if Great Britain lost, boxscore suggest that Richards was very dominant.

[SpursIndonesia]

This young lad is just inconsistent at this point, and his lack of playing in the past year clearly showed last game. He's still talented with potential, i wouldn't worry too much about him, fact that he's just a 2nd rounder draftee, anything bigger than a bust would be just fantastic for me. Lowered expectation helps.

[GB20]

This young lad is just inconsistent at this point, and his lack of playing in the past year clearly showed last game. He's still talented with potential, i wouldn't worry too much about him, fact that he's just a 2nd rounder draftee, anything bigger than a bust would be just fantastic for me. Lowered expectation helps.
did you watch him play the last two games?

[Anonymous Cowherd]

20 and 11 today against the might of Luxembourg.

[8FOR!3]

His biggest inconsistency seems to be three point shooting. So really he needs to just stop taking so many threes. Step in and hit the midrange.

[BackHome]

Yeah, we want the opposite of Bonner ie......someone who can play defense, rebound, and score in a variety of ways other then 3 pointer.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

His biggest inconsistency seems to be three point shooting. So really he needs to just stop taking so many threes. Step in and hit the midrange.

I'm glad you mentioned this - I coach AAU basketball and have stated that SO MANY TIMES. In fact, one of the worst inventions in basketball has been the 3 pt line because ERBODY and their brother thinks they can shoot them.

This is further reinforced by guys at every height level (5'10" to 7'0") being primary 3 pt jump shooters instead of the shorter guys learning how to make decisions and distribute the ball and bigger guys learning how to play back to the basket skills and rebounding.

Basketball just isn't what it used to be...

[SenorSpur]

I'm glad you mentioned this - I coach AAU basketball and have stated that SO MANY TIMES. In fact, one of the worst inventions in basketball has been the 3 pt line because ERBODY and their brother thinks they can shoot them.

This is further reinforced by guys at every height level (5'10" to 7'0") being primary 3 pt jump shooters instead of the shorter guys learning how to make decisions and distribute the ball and bigger guys learning how to play back to the basket skills and rebounding.

Basketball just isn't what it used to be...

Amen to it all. :angel

[Anonymous Cowherd]

...he hit 3 out of 4 from 3-point land today, maybe he read this thread ;)

[DPG21920]

That would be the inconsistent part :lol

[DPG21920]

Also, Richards just sh*tting all over SpursTalk...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

This guy hits threes? Is he becoming our Channing Frye in training or what?

[Redshadows]

haven't seen his games. how is his defense?

[vander]

Yeah, we want the opposite of Bonner ie......someone who can play defense, rebound, and score in a variety of ways other then 3 pointer.

can you name me some players who do this and can be had for less than 4 million per year?

[underdawg]

can you name me some players who do this and can be had for less than 4 million per year?

Anthony Tolliver
Josh McRoberts
Brandon Bass (makes $4 mil)
Anthony Randolph
Jeremy Evans - Utah

[Bruno]

32/14 today against Israel:
http://u20men.fibaeurope.com/enDivB/cid_GtpNa-qCJkM1Osy8c8nb01.gameID_8342-H-2-1.compID_UIfgjyQcGqk-fPlnl66Tj0.season_2011.roundID_8167.teamID_.html

[benefactor]

What a crazy box score. GB was blowing them out and almost lost. How do you go +22 in rebounding and lose by one? Commit 29 turnovers, that's how.

[stnick2261]

it's good to see Richard's numbers steadily going up each game... 5 games in a row at 20+ points.

[yavozerb]

Any chance that Richards could play for the mens national team? I think Richards realized after the 1st game of this tourney that if he does not score, that team does not have a chance. Good to see him step up his game because quite frankly it seems as though the rest of his team is not very good.

[mountainballer]

Van Oostrum (who got some hype in this thread two weeks ago) is a TO machine and not as great as advertised in the other departments. against better competition he would likely produce even more chaos.

[jesterbobman]

You're saying his 11 TO's is a problem!

[Solid D]

England barely beat Iceland today in Group B action. 72-70. Richards did not close out the game but he went for 17 pts. and 5 rebs..

http://live.fibaeurope.com/www/Game.aspx?acc=1&gameID=9231

[Bruno]

GB U20 is seriously underachieving in this tournament. They will finish this tournament between the 13th and 16th place.

I damn hope Richards will be invited to the senior team camp. They have 3 good bigmen with Robert Archibald, Dan Clark and Joel Freelaand. Richards can be their 4th bigman and get significant playing time at a way better level.

[GB20]

Is ryan richards coming this year? have you guys heard anything?

[Buddy Holly]

England barely beat Iceland today in Group B action. 72-70. Richards did not close out the game but he went for 17 pts. and 5 rebs..

http://live.fibaeurope.com/www/Game.aspx?acc=1&gameID=9231

He injured his ankle and is out for the rest of the tournament.

[bluebellmaniac]

He injured his ankle and is out for the rest of the tournament.

Any word on the ankle?

[Bruno]

Richards has been call up to play with the senior team:
http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/07/trio-of-gb-u20s-called-up-to-senior-squad/

Good news. :tu

[GB20]

Richards has been call up to play with the senior team:
http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/07/trio-of-gb-u20s-called-up-to-senior-squad/

Good news. :tu
this is the best news of the day for me but didn't he get injured last week?

[Bruno]

this is the best news of the day for me but didn't he get injured last week?

It was just a minor ankle sprain.

[GB20]

It was just a minor ankle sprain.
do you think he can make the senior squad?

[Bruno]

do you think he can make the senior squad?

I have never seen Richards play. Saying that, Great Britain don't have a lot of depth and there are some roster spots available. If Richards is somewhat good, he will make the team.

[GB20]

I have never seen Richards play. Saying that, Great Britain don't have a lot of depth and there are some roster spots available. If Richards is somewhat good, he will make the team.
this is where the spurs is going to pay a lot of attention and see how he does with his national team before giving him a contract.

[ivanfromwestwood]

im rooting for this guy big time. good luck buddy! also dont fall in love with the 3pt shot. we wanna see you more going to the basket with authority. at least i do.

[Darkwaters]

I'm just happy Richards is getting out there and playing 5x5 basketball again. The biggest thing for him is just to play as many games, as many minutes, against respectable competition as possible.

Does he come over this year afterall? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever provides him with more minutes: Europa or Toros.

[yavozerb]

I'm just happy Richards is getting out there and playing 5x5 basketball again. The biggest thing for him is just to play as many games, as many minutes, against respectable competition as possible.

Does he come over this year afterall? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever provides him with more minutes: Europa or Toros.

:toast, agree that any PT is good PT at this point for Richards especially if he can play against professionals. I think Richards has to be on the radar for the spurs considering there need for a big man who can play outside the paint. It seems maybe lorbek is one of there top choices and he would be able to help more quickly team needs with his experience. The key at this point for Richards is to simply to get experience playing against high caliber players anywhere so he can refine his game and stay healthy.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

I think it is truly sad that Ryan Richards seems to be such a hot topic for discussion - as if this guy is going to be an elite NBA player...

Elite NBAers finally making the senior team in England at age 20...

[yavozerb]

I think it is truly sad that Ryan Richards seems to be such a hot topic for discussion - as if this guy is going to be an elite NBA player...

Elite NBAers finally making the senior team in England at age 20...

Very few have mentioned this guy being an elite player, so not sure where you are getting this from..If you want, you can go spend some time on the trade TP thread, now thats a hot topic for discussion..

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Very few have mentioned this guy being an elite player, so not sure where you are getting this from..If you want, you can go spend some time on the trade TP thread, now thats a hot topic for discussion..

That's exactly my point - the guy ISN'T elite (I never said he was). He's not even NBA material yet but he's got 5 pages of thread and an update everytime he touches the ball, pisses, eats breakfast or is mentioned by a sports announcer in a time zone 8 hours from now. I think I even saw a Youtube posting of this guy playing against what looked like some junior high kids.

This is gonna be a long lockout ...

[ChumpDumper]

That's exactly my point - the guy ISN'T elite (I never said he was). He's not even NBA material yet but he's got 5 pages of thread and an update everytime he touches the ball, pisses, eats breakfast or is mentioned by a sports announcer in a time zone 8 hours from now. I think I even saw a Youtube posting of this guy playing against what looked like some junior high kids.

This is gonna be a long lockout ...No one is making you follow him or this thread.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

No one is making you follow him or this thread.

Very true - but it's the only thread w/ any info in it and I'm still a Spurs fan...

[benefactor]

That's exactly my point - the guy ISN'T elite (I never said he was). He's not even NBA material yet but he's got 5 pages of thread and an update everytime he touches the ball, pisses, eats breakfast or is mentioned by a sports announcer in a time zone 8 hours from now. I think I even saw a Youtube posting of this guy playing against what looked like some junior high kids.

This is gonna be a long lockout ...
Get used to it or find somewhere else to post. This is Spurstalk at it's very purest form.

[ChumpDumper]

Very true - but it's the only thread w/ any info in it and I'm still a Spurs fan...So why are you complaining?

[xellos88330]

That's exactly my point - the guy ISN'T elite (I never said he was). He's not even NBA material yet but he's got 5 pages of thread and an update everytime he touches the ball, pisses, eats breakfast or is mentioned by a sports announcer in a time zone 8 hours from now. I think I even saw a Youtube posting of this guy playing against what looked like some junior high kids.

This is gonna be a long lockout ...

Before you say these kinds of things, have you entertained the possibility of what it would be like to have a young athletic 7 footer playing alongside Duncan?

I think that is why he is getting so much attention and why everyone is following this kid closely. Mahinmi was getting a lot of attention just because of that thought. What makes Richards more intriguing than Mahinmi is that he seems to have a more offensive talent.

I completely understand what you are talking about with people getting hyped up about him. I believe this kid is unproven, and will have a chance to somewhat showcase what he can do against others his size. It is almost like getting a present in a big box. You can't help but get a bit curious about it. That is all that is going on here with Richards.

[dylankerouac]

Before you say these kinds of things, have you entertained the possibility of what it would be like to have a young athletic 7 footer playing alongside Duncan?

I think that is why he is getting so much attention and why everyone is following this kid closely. Mahinmi was getting a lot of attention just because of that thought. What makes Richards more intriguing than Mahinmi is that he seems to have a more offensive talent.

I completely understand what you are talking about with people getting hyped up about him. I believe this kid is unproven, and will have a chance to somewhat showcase what he can do against others his size. It is almost like getting a present in a big box. You can't help but get a bit curious about it. That is all that is going on here with Richards.

:downspin:I for one appreciate all the updates, please keep'em coming.

[elemento]

That's exactly my point - the guy ISN'T elite (I never said he was). He's not even NBA material yet but he's got 5 pages of thread and an update everytime he touches the ball, pisses, eats breakfast or is mentioned by a sports announcer in a time zone 8 hours from now. I think I even saw a Youtube posting of this guy playing against what looked like some junior high kids.

This is gonna be a long lockout ...

Well,

If the boy was elite, we would not have taken him with the 49th pick. And if he was elite, he would be playing for the Spurs by now.

I don't see anybody here saying he is going to destroy everyone in the NBA.

We got a raw guy based on his potential. What's the problem of a thread that gives Spurs fans some information about the guy ?

Every player that plays overseas has a page updated in ST. Nando de Colo has one, David Bertans has one, Adam Hanga has one. What's the problem with that ?

That's one of the things that makes ST so nice. You can get a lot of informations about all the Spurs players, even the ones playing overseas.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Well,

If the boy was elite, we would not have taken him with the 49th pick. And if he was elite, he would be playing for the Spurs by now.

I don't see anybody here saying he is going to destroy everyone in the NBA.

We got a raw guy based on his potential. What's the problem of a thread that gives Spurs fans some information about the guy ?

Every player that plays overseas has a page updated in ST. Nando de Colo has one, David Bertans has one, Adam Hanga has one. What's the problem with that ?

That's one of the things that makes ST so nice. You can get a lot of informations about all the Spurs players, even the ones playing overseas.

I agree w/ you and have read (and learned quite a bit) from these pages. I love Spurstalk, the differing opinions and all that. I even read those pages of somewhat ridiculous trade scenarios and other discussions of how good (or bad) players around the league are thought of. But, anyone who's truly honest w/ themself would have to admit that sometimes the absurdity of some of the discussion/proposals are mind boggling.

I think we've reached the point w/ Richards. Honestly, I don't have a problem w/ him personally or his game or anything of that nature...it just strikes me as somewhat excessive to have THIS much information on a guy who's probably going to be a fringe player in 2-3 years from now. The other pages you mentioned, de Colo and the rest, aren't currently generating similar quantity of info (of course, because there really isn't much to report).

If there were no lockout, other conversations would be more prevelant. Obviously. I guess I'm just hoping/wishing for something relevant to think about wrt the Spurs and the NBA in genaral.

[buttsR4rebounding]

It is really tough to say how well he will develop. He did miss the last year with an injury which puts him back. Also big men tend to develop a little later, but he seems to have a skill set that gives him a chance to be a very good NBA player. It is just nice to see him getting some PT. And 5 pages of a thread, that's hardly a ripple on ST. Please see "Ime Udoka".

[Darkwaters]

Get used to it or find somewhere else to post. This is Spurstalk at it's very purest form.

reference: James White!

[Ross Parrot]

Is his defense better than Bonner's? :lol

[benefactor]

reference: James White!
And James Gist, Viktor Sanikidze, Malik Hairston, Pops Mensah-Bonsu........

[Darkwaters]

And James Gist, Viktor Sanikidze, Malik Hairston, Pops Mensah-Bonsu........

.....Darius Washington, Jack McClinton.....

[Darkwaters]

And James Gist, Viktor Sanikidze, Malik Hairston, Pops Mensah-Bonsu........

PS: I'm impressed you can spell "Sanikidze" correctly. Did you have to look it up though? Truth time.

[benefactor]

Yup.

[ace3g]

Richards heading to Spain

San Antonio Spurs draftee Ryan Richards has been playing great of late since coming off shoulder surgery and it has been paying off.

He played great for Great Britain in the U20 tournament, enough to get invited to Great Britain's preliminary men's senior basketball team and now he is off to join Baskonia/Caja Laboral:

This is a huge step in Richards' development on the court. His new team is one of the premier Spanish clubs and has produced NBA talent such as Spurs' Tiago Splitter, Luis Scola, and Jose Calderon.

Congrats Richards.

http://projectspurs.com/2011-articles/august/richards-heading-to-spain.html

[elemento]

Nice to hear that

I hope he can improve his game in Spain playing against good competition.

[ivanfromwestwood]

hell yea buddy. good job Ryan. time to see what you can do. make sure you come out swinging . :ihit

make us proud. we'll be watching you very closely. this just made my day. :toast :downspin: :flag:

[GB20]

Richards heading to Spain

San Antonio Spurs draftee Ryan Richards has been playing great of late since coming off shoulder surgery and it has been paying off.

He played great for Great Britain in the U20 tournament, enough to get invited to Great Britain's preliminary men's senior basketball team and now he is off to join Baskonia/Caja Laboral:

This is a huge step in Richards' development on the court. His new team is one of the premier Spanish clubs and has produced NBA talent such as Spurs' Tiago Splitter, Luis Scola, and Jose Calderon.

Congrats Richards.

http://projectspurs.com/2011-articles/august/richards-heading-to-spain.html
for how long is he going to stay with caja laboral?

[Bruno]

Future will tell but I find it's a bad choice. Richards could easily end up as their 3rd string center behind Lampe and Musli. If it's the case, he won't get any minutes and the best solution would be that Caja Laboal loan him to a weaker team.

It will be nice to see the details of his contract too. Hope it will be a NBA friendly one.

[ChumpDumper]

Yeah, seems like too high a level for him at this point.

[ivanfromwestwood]

Yeah, seems like too high a level for him at this point.
how so? we have all seen players right out of HS become serviceable nba players. this young man has all the tools to be productive. his ceiling will be determined by his work ethic. i say throw him to the wolves. its the only way know if he has the will to succeed?

[Darkwaters]

how so? we have all seen players right out of HS become serviceable nba players. this young man has all the tools to be productive. his ceiling will be determined by his work ethic. i say throw him to the wolves. its the only way know if he has the will to succeed?

The problem is that if he can't get off the bench because of a talented lineup in front of him then he won't be doing much learning. Coming off a lost season due to shoulder surgery the guy needs minutes more than anything else.

[Splitter25]

It was a joke from Richards who is in Vitoria seeing his friend Van Oostrum. He will not sign with Baskonia.

[GB20]

ryan richards led his national team with 16 points in 10 minutes of action today.

[Bruno]

Good news that the Caja Laboral rumor was BS. Richards needs to get playing time whether it is with the Toros or in Europe.

The game against Netherlands pretty much means nothing. It looks like it was more a scrimmage than a true game: http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/08/gb-rout-netherlands-in-first-warm-up-of-summer/

The first true meaningful game for Richards will be on August 16th against France. It should be a game played more seriously and Richards will face decent bigmen with Noah and Turiaf. Let's hope Richards will still be a part of GBNT at that time and that he will play some minutes.

[mountainballer]

IMO it's depending on what the Spurs long term plans with Richards are to judge what the right team would be. if Spurs don't plan to bring him over till 2013 or 2014, then Caja could be a good place. it's not a bad thing for a young player to be coached by Ivanovic. Richards might not play that much in the first season (like Barac did three years back for example), but beginning at 10-12 MPG on top pro level might be the right way. what we know is that Ivanovic does give his young players a chance to play, when the time is right.

if the Spurs plan to bring him over 2012, then I agree he needs a team where he gets more PT and it might be even better to put him on the Toros for a season. (and let him work with the Spurs at the camp)

[xellos88330]

Good news that the Caja Laboral rumor was BS. Richards needs to get playing time whether it is with the Toros or in Europe.

The game against Netherlands pretty much means nothing. It looks like it was more a scrimmage than a true game: http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/08/gb-rout-netherlands-in-first-warm-up-of-summer/

The first true meaningful game for Richards will be on August 16th against France. It should be a game played more seriously and Richards will face decent bigmen with Noah and Turiaf. Let's hope Richards will still be a part of GBNT at that time and that he will play some minutes.

Is it going to be on NBA tv, or available broadband?

[yavozerb]

Good news that the Caja Laboral rumor was BS. Richards needs to get playing time whether it is with the Toros or in Europe.

The game against Netherlands pretty much means nothing. It looks like it was more a scrimmage than a true game: http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/08/gb-rout-netherlands-in-first-warm-up-of-summer/

The first true meaningful game for Richards will be on August 16th against France. It should be a game played more seriously and Richards will face decent bigmen with Noah and Turiaf. Let's hope Richards will still be a part of GBNT at that time and that he will play some minutes.

Disagree with your assessment about the Netherlands game. Anytime you are attempting to make a team any Pt is important PT and he seemed to make the most of his limited time. To expect Richards to perform well against talented and seasoned NBA players like Noah and Turiaf may be asking a bit much. Not only do I not expect much from Richards against France, but the Brits team as a whole should struggle. Here's hoping though that Richards can prove me wrong..

[yavozerb]

http://projectspurs.com/2011-articles/august/richards-leads-great-britain-to-win-over-netherlands-in-exhibition-play.html

[Bruno]

Disagree with your assessment about the Netherlands game. Anytime you are attempting to make a team any Pt is important PT and he seemed to make the most of his limited time. To expect Richards to perform well against talented and seasoned NBA players like Noah and Turiaf may be asking a bit much. Not only do I not expect much from Richards against France, but the Brits team as a whole should struggle. Here's hoping though that Richards can prove me wrong..

It isn't only a matter of opponent.

When I see reports saying that 14 players for GB played more than 10min, leading scorers besides Richards are Kyle Johnson (playing in a small college) and Eric Boateng (5ppg with the Toros), it says it all about this game. It is like Spurs' first preseason game where Pop mainly uses 3rd and 4th stringer.

My point is that game doesn't help to know if Richards will turn as a good player but I agree with your point that it will help him to make the senior squad.

[Bruno]

Is it going to be on NBA tv, or available broadband?

I don't know but there should have some streaming available on the internet. This game will be part of a 6 days tournament in London with GB, France, China, Australia, Serbia and Croatia. This tournament is made to test Olympic facilities.

[yavozerb]

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/richards_earns_gb_basketball_call_up_1_992392

[bluebellmaniac]

Wow, Richards has a long way to go before he is NBA ready if we are celebrating his making the big boy team for GB. It's definitely a step in the right direction, but shows that he needs to improve... a lot. Right now I hope that he can someday be good enough for a role player position on the team. This is true of most of the stashed big picks we have. Seems like such a crap shoot considering it'll be years before this fruit ripens. Lorbek seems like the best shot at filling a need now.

When would training camp be starting if there wasn't a lockout? When do we "officially" start missing NBA news? Right now I just want to know who's in shape and who is not.

Curse this lockout!

[yavozerb]

Wow, Richards has a long way to go before he is NBA ready if we are celebrating his making the big boy team for GB. It's definitely a step in the right direction, but shows that he needs to improve... a lot. Right now I hope that he can someday be good enough for a role player position on the team. This is true of most of the stashed big picks we have. Seems like such a crap shoot considering it'll be years before this fruit ripens. Lorbek seems like the best shot at filling a need now.

When would training camp be starting if there wasn't a lockout? When do we "officially" start missing NBA news? Right now I just want to know who's in shape and who is not.

Curse this lockout!

An unknown player like Richards to make the senior NT at 20 years is a good accomplishment. Dont think many are expecting Richards to be ready for a season or 2 but at least this will allow him to compete against legit NBA talent.

[Rito3d30]

anyone know how he played against China yesterday?

[ChumpDumper]

Who is the 18 year old? Does he play center?

[biggysmall]

The 18 year old picked was the point guard who i mentioned earlier in the thread so he was not chosen above him at all, firstly i would hope you would realise they werent in direct competiotion for a spot. GB are a lot stronger in the forwards position than at the guard spot. This has resulted in the coach taking 3pgs and 3sgs as none of these spots have been cemented. Due to this richards has been left out which many see as a risky decision. In effect Coach Finch has fiven up his 5th big man (Richards) to give himself more options with his guards. I have read comments regarding how poor Richards must be if he cant make this team but that is not the case. The forwards chosen above him were Joel Freeland wh was a 1st round pick by Portland and is forging a great career in europe and is only 24, Portland are looking to take him to the NBA next season at the end of his spanish team conttract. Robert Archibald was drafted in the nba and has ahad a long career throuighout the top leagues of europe, currently in the ACB. Dan Clark is another big playing decent mins in the ACB and Eric Boatang got close to making the Nuggets last season and despite his NBADL numbers being relativley poor he has international experience and was a good Ncaa big man, doing exactly what GB need of him through rebounding put backs etc. Whilst i understand this is not similar in any way to the USA team those saying he must be terrible if he cant make the GB team are off the mark. For a guy who has not played all season (and not a great deal before that) to get so close to making the cut is impressive and bodes well for him making and impression in the league during the next few years.

[ChumpDumper]

Link to Archibald's serious injury before the tournament or you're lying again.

[biggysmall]

Archibald is ill and got ill after the squad was chosen. clark is fit and has played every game, he hurt his hand in a warmup game but was fine.

[ChumpDumper]

They were both injured (as in not sure if or how they could play) at the time the final roster had to be submitted to FIBA.You're lying. You should be banned for life and several years after that.

[Bruno]

Richards seems close to signing with a Swiss team:
http://www.hoopsfix.com/2011/09/ryan-richards-to-play-for-lugano-tigers-in-switzerland/

If it's true, he will play in a low level league which should allow him to get plenty of playing time.