Ryan Richards

[Atl Spur]

This guy will be a spur in the next year or two. He and Kawhi is the same age and I think the spurs aren't so much worried about his competition as they are in him honing in on a skill set. A 7ft1in mobile 4 that can shoot and also post up is the desire of everyone in todays NBA! Let's be clear, he will need an acclimation period but there are very few like him on the planet. This idea may be way off base but it seems real funny to me that they haven't traded his rights or he straight forced their hand to release him/give him the tryout if there wasn't a understanding in place. Only time will tell though!

[Uriel]

:lol

[RD2191]

Pass the weed.

[Atl Spur]

I've expressed it in multiple post that our biggest advantage is our ability to post up these cute little offense's these days. We are the only team that choose to combat Golden States small deal with considerable size. This guy would be a great piece to add with LaMarcus and Boban next year replacing Matty B. LaMarcus could teach him for the next 3+ years as his heir apparent....

[Atl Spur]

I respect your opinions if that's what your responses were :) We can revisit this discussion later and I will admit I was wrong if nothing materialize.

[wildbill2u]

Richards seems to be something of a head case from what has been reported. He keeps moving from team to team in Europe without any progress in his game. For these reasons, I don't see him in the Spurs plans for the future.

[Atl Spur]

If these reports are true.....why not just release him or why hasn't he asked for a release to pursue a career with another nba team being his skill set is sought after?

[Atl Spur]

it's more to this story trust me........ there are head case's all over the NBA landscape

[jyra]

Never say never..
Whiteside took a similar path before ending up being the player he is today.

I'm sure Richards would dominate the D-League if he wanted to come over but the pay is obviously much worse. I hope we can see him again at some point but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[benefactor]

"Brilliant, but lazy."

-Dr. Octavious

[JeffDuncan]

Lazy = unmotivated. There are ways to overcome that.

But..... Iran??

[TXstbobcat]

Don't think Richards is in the future plans. Has been a major bust didn't show anything when he played in the SL for the Spurs in past years.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Richards has zero chance at ever being in the NBA. In fact he has zero chance to even play for a Euroleague team. He should continue tearing up the Iranian and Lebanese championships :lol

[daslicer]

Judging by the these highlights he can hit 3's and has a back to the basket game granted his competition was a bunch of Arabs.

mzvewEFa9sY

[cjw]

The only value Richards has is if the Spurs literally had no second round picks to trade and needed to give SOME consideration to another team in a deal that was a straight salary dump. Draft rights Lorbek style.

[Solid D]

Should have started this thread on April 1.

[Atl Spur]

Time will tell.....

[Russ]

Judging by the these highlights he can hit 3's and has a back to the basket game granted his competition was a bunch of Arabs.

mzvewEFa9sY

Our Persian friends will not like that characterization . . .

[Leetonidas]

random gnsf endorsing a shitty obscure player thread, nothing to see here

[TheGreatYacht]

What everyone here thinks of Ryan Richards, that's what I think of ST's favorite kid, Bertans. :lol

They will never be on the Spurs.

Would take both over Bonner, though.

[Russ]

What everyone here thinks of Ryan Richards, that's what I think of ST's favorite kid, Bertans. :lol

They will never be on the Spurs.

Would take both over Bonner, though.

Comparing Bertans to Ryan f**ing Richards is flat out absurd. :(

[Agloco]

random gnsf endorsing a shitty obscure player thread, nothing to see here

Reminds me of those KBP threads hyping up random Greek scrubs. :lol

[lmbebo]

Our Persian friends will not like that characterization . . .

Looks like the game wasn't sold out.. What like 2k in the stands?

[exstatic]

Time will tell.....

Time already has.

[DMC]

I've expressed it in multiple post that our biggest advantage is our ability to post up these cute little offense's these days. We are the only team that choose to combat Golden States small deal with considerable size. This guy would be a great piece to add with LaMarcus and Boban next year replacing Matty B. LaMarcus could teach him for the next 3+ years as his heir apparent....
What GS game were you watching? In the 1st we got butt raped and in the 2nd they had 3 of their guys out and we sat Tim Duncan. I don't know what you're talking about with "post up these cute.." line.

[DMC]

Judging by the these highlights he can hit 3's and has a back to the basket game granted his competition was a bunch of Arabs.

mzvewEFa9sY
When they blow up a roster it means something completely different.

[benefactor]

Lazy = unmotivated. There are ways to overcome that.

But..... Iran??
He doesn't care enough to put the work in to take his game to the next level. Why do you think he couldn't even make another Euro squad and is playing in the towel head league?

[benefactor]

Judging by the these highlights he can hit 3's and has a back to the basket game granted his competition was a bunch of Arabs.

mzvewEFa9sY
The same kinds of videos were circulating 6 years ago when he was doing the same thing to midgets in HS gyms. This is the only competition he will ever play against because he has no work ethic.

[Obstructed_View]

random gnsf endorsing a shitty obscure player thread, nothing to see here

"Hey, I just discovered this guy for the first time. I'll go tell the guys who have been watching him play for the last six years!"

Richards had his shot. A spot on the Spurs was his to lose, and he was awful. He's spent all his time since then moving around to find the team in the little shit league that will pay him the most, and his game hasn't improved at all.

[ceperez]

The same kinds of videos were circulating 6 years ago when he was doing the same thing to midgets in HS gyms. This is the only competition he will ever play against because he has no work ethic.

Well, at least there's a form NBA player that was guarding him on a couple of plays.

Talks about major minor league, look at the size of the stadium. A HS gym would be about the same size.

[Atl Spur]

Mr. View your incorrect. I'll give you some facts minus the BS fluff you seem to like. I'm from the East Side Of San Antonio born and raised, Spurs fan for the past 35yrs, U.S Army Veteran, College Grad, and presently works for a Bio Med company based in ATLANTA( hence ATLSPUR ).... I'm not a little boy here to match wits with you. I won't profess to be this or that on a message board in regards to my fandom; just know there aren't many bigger spurs fans than I! As far as Mr. Richards is concerned, I was merely stating he is what the NBA is looking for these days and curious to why NO one has asked to trade for him. He has a talent that translates........

[Uriel]

The Spurs front office is brilliant, but Richards was one of their few mistakes. The talent and upside he had was unmistakeable. But the Spurs are usually known for being able to look beyond mere talent into the character of a person.

[Atl Spur]

Mr. Prez I stated above never mind the competition, he has a skill set and size that is unique. Is he NBA material? I don't know. It just seems something is going more than " He Sucks " or " He's A Head Case ". No interviews I've ever heard him provide sounds as if he is/was a bonehead. I would be interested to know what really went on with him.....

[Atl Spur]

Uriel, what did he do though that was horrible from a character standpoint? I remember him saying he wanted to play in the D-League expedite his path to the big team right? I think the spurs still see something in him and believe in him or they would have got rid of him. I also believe he would have asked to be released from their control.....

[exstatic]

Mr. Prez I stated above never mind the competition, he has a skill set and size that is unique. Is he NBA material? I don't know. It just seems something is going more than " He Sucks " or " He's A Head Case ". No interviews I've ever heard him provide sounds as if he is/was a bonehead. I would be interested to know what really went on with him.....

People here have told you, but you refuse to listen.

[exstatic]

Uriel, what did he do though that was horrible from a character standpoint? I remember him saying he wanted to play in the D-League expedite his path to the big team right? I think the spurs still see something in him and believe in him or they would have got rid of him. I also believe he would have asked to be released from their control.....

Why do you think there has to be some sort of "action" for the Spurs to be no longer interested? Spurs still hold the rights to many players overseas who will never see the NBA, going all the way back to 2001 with Javtokas.

[ceperez]

Atl Spur .... yes he had size and an outside touch. However, his lack of success elsewhere evidenced by his need to play in Iran, tells you how far he has fallen since his draft.

There are plenty of places to play professional ball in the world. Plenty of places in Europe, Asia and Australia. To have gone all the way down to Iran seems to indicate that he doesn't have the skills to compete elsewhere and likely he plays for the money relative to a gig in the D-league. I guess he's got high expectations on his lifestyle and rather than working on his craft he choses instead to make some money instead.

Career history:


2009 Belfius Mons-Hainaut
2009–2011 Gran Canaria
2010 → BBC Monthey
2011–2012 Lugano Tigers
2012 Sukhumi
2012–2013 Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2013 Zepter Vienna
2013 Al Nasr Dubai
2013–2014 Ikaros Chalkidas
2014 Zepter Vienna
2014–2015 Körmend
2015 Azad University Tehran
2015 Guangxi Weizhuang Rhinos
2015–2016 Shahrdari Gorgan
2016–present Hekmeh

WTF! Journey man so early in his career.

[Atl Spur]

Mr. Prez I can respect that take and thanks for being a civil adult. Exstatic, contrary to your belief, I am listening my friend. No other player rights we hold is more valuable from a sheer talent perspective / skill set than his. That's why I posed the question why no other team that I know of ever inquired about his rights. I know Bud here in Atlanta could of took a flyer on him before taking one on Tavares if everything was what it appears. Either he truly know the kid is a lost cause or he already know the Spurs have a plan for him in the future. 7ft1 mobile 4's don't grow on trees..

[Atl Spur]

Like said before time will tell.......... He's only 24yrs old (about to turn 25 this year )

[Obstructed_View]

Mr. View your incorrect. I'll give you some facts minus the BS fluff you seem to like. I'm from the East Side Of San Antonio born and raised, Spurs fan for the past 35yrs, U.S Army Veteran, College Grad, and presently works for a Bio Med company based in ATLANTA( hence ATLSPUR ).... I'm not a little boy here to match wits with you. I won't profess to be this or that on a message board in regards to my fandom; just know there aren't many bigger spurs fans than I! As far as Mr. Richards is concerned, I was merely stating he is what the NBA is looking for these days and curious to why NO one has asked to trade for him. He has a talent that translates........

Then I'll take a step back and explain rather than insult.

Richards has a lot of talent and no heart. None. He doesn't give effort. Since almost nobody in sports suddenly develops a work ethic, at this point it's safe to assume that he's never going to change. That's why nobody's showing any interest in him.

Not only is nobody asking to trade for him, nobody in any of the decent international leagues is interested in him. As for Spurstalk, most of us that have been watching and rooting for him over the last several years are tired of watching him shit away his potential.

The Spurs have other bigs in the pipeline that have a better chance, like Mulitinov , Cady Lalane and LJC. Not likely to ever make a roster or contribute, but definitely a better chance.

[Atl Spur]

I respect that explanation Sir. I hope your wrong but your probably not. I vaguely remember hearing this cat was ultra competitive right? Nevertheless I hope Mulitinov comes over this year along with Bertans.

[ceperez]

Then I'll take a step back and explain rather than insult.

Richards has a lot of talent and no heart. None. He doesn't give effort. Since almost nobody in sports suddenly develops a work ethic, at this point it's safe to assume that he's never going to change. That's why nobody's showing any interest in him.

Not only is nobody asking to trade for him, nobody in any of the decent international leagues is interested in him. As for Spurstalk, most of us that have been watching and rooting for him over the last several years are tired of watching him shit away his potential.

The Spurs have other bigs in the pipeline that have a better chance, like Mulitinov , Cady Lalane and LJC. Not likely to ever make a roster or contribute, but definitely a better chance.

I agree with this assessment. Spurs have too many other bigs that have a lot more length and athleticism than Richards.

Although LJC is look like a bust despite being picked up in the 1st round!

[benefactor]

He refused to play in the DLeague too iirc...which is pretty much a death sentence with the Spurs.

[Chinook]

That was Livio who publicly said that. Richards may have refused as well, but I don't think that was ever quoted. Honestly, I wish the Spurs had just brought him over on a three-year deal in 2010. I think they might have done so had he not injured his shoulder that summer. Had that worked out, I think Richards would have either figured it and been a solid Spurs or at least have had a few years on the fringes of NBA rosters like Anthony Randolph did.

Make no mistake, AS, if the Spurs signed Richards to a contract (especially a multi-year one) this off-season, there'd be a ton of interest on this site. Some posters like me hyped him up for years, and the team taking even a token interest in him would be one of the big topics of the off-season. Dude has talent and is young enough to put it together, but he isn't trying to meet the Spurs halfway, so he's not in their plans.

Incidentally, the Spurs are seemingly burning bridges with most of their second-rounders. You have Bertans and Cady still being talked about. But besides them, there hasn't been a whole lot of news of them working with the others. Denmon is probably not going to even be on a SL roster. Thomas had to force his way into camp, only to get cut. Hanga seems to know he'll never be a Spur now. I have no idea what's going on with Dangubic.

[Obstructed_View]

I agree with this assessment. Spurs have too many other bigs that have a lot more length and athleticism than Richards.

Although LJC is look like a bust despite being picked up in the 1st round!

Richards has both of those in spades, but if he doesn't utilize them, then he's a poor man's Austin Daye.

[Atl Spur]

Ceprez, Richards length/athleticism is unmatched by anyone not named Livio Jean Charles. Dangubic might be that sleeper chinook!

[Atl Spur]

That post up potential from Richards could be the hidden gem!

[Obstructed_View]

That post up potential from Richards could be the hidden gem!

I guess at this point it's safe to assume that you're just not listening to what you're being told. He's not a hidden gem. He's just not any fucking good.

[Ocotillo]

Isn't LJC 6'9"? Guess I need to go look it up, yes, went and looked it up and he is.

[will_spurs]

If these reports are true.....why not just release him or why hasn't he asked for a release to pursue a career with another nba team being his skill set is sought after?

Releasing him brings nothing to the Spurs, why would they do it?

And he hasn't asked for a release because it doesn't matter as there's 0 interest in him in the NBA or in any serious league.

[NameLess Scrub]

Isn't Ryan Richards kind of a nice country singer name? He could try that.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I have no idea what's going on with Dangubic.

Off topic, but Dangubic is playing very decently for his team Crvena Zvezda in the Euroleague. Started most of the games for them, but not playing too much - about 15 mins per - with little usage but great percentages. Something like 5 PPG on 60% shooting and 53% from 3. His team is doing quite well too, they've qualified for the final 8.

The currently best player the Spurs have stashed funnily is Printezis :)

[wildbill2u]

Atl Spur .... yes he had size and an outside touch. However, his lack of success elsewhere evidenced by his need to play in Iran, tells you how far he has fallen since his draft.

There are plenty of places to play professional ball in the world. Plenty of places in Europe, Asia and Australia. To have gone all the way down to Iran seems to indicate that he doesn't have the skills to compete elsewhere and likely he plays for the money relative to a gig in the D-league. I guess he's got high expectations on his lifestyle and rather than working on his craft he choses instead to make some money instead.

Career history:


2009 Belfius Mons-Hainaut
2009–2011 Gran Canaria
2010 → BBC Monthey
2011–2012 Lugano Tigers
2012 Sukhumi
2012–2013 Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2013 Zepter Vienna
2013 Al Nasr Dubai
2013–2014 Ikaros Chalkidas
2014 Zepter Vienna
2014–2015 Körmend
2015 Azad University Tehran
2015 Guangxi Weizhuang Rhinos
2015–2016 Shahrdari Gorgan
2016–present Hekmeh

WTF! Journey man so early in his career.

Jeez, ATLSpur, if you can't explain why so many shit teams over his 'career' couldn't develop his 'unique talent' and apparently didn't fight/want to keep him on roster, then you relegate yourself to being a ST cultist. But don't worry, there are plenty of them.

[Obstructed_View]

Isn't LJC 6'9"? Guess I need to go look it up, yes, went and looked it up and he is.

Yeah, the legend of players that Spurstalk posters rave about, yet have apparently never watched play. :lol

[Obstructed_View]

Releasing him brings nothing to the Spurs, why would they do it?

Doing so will apparently open the floodgates of all the NBA teams that are dying to bring him to their franchise. :/

[ceperez]

Ceprez, Richards length/athleticism is unmatched by anyone not named Livio Jean Charles. Dangubic might be that sleeper chinook!

Lalanne, although shorter than Richards has a 4" more wingspan and higher standing reach than Richards. Reach counts more than height, just ask Kawhi.

[ceperez]

Yeah, the legend of players that Spurstalk posters rave about, yet have apparently never watched play. :lol

Livo has a one inch wingspan advantage over Richards and he is without a doubt a higher jumper and a much quicker jumper than Richards.

Richards is big, but he's got short arms and has the athleticism of most any European center. That's why he's unable to land a steady gig in Europe.

[Obstructed_View]

Lalanne, although shorter than Richards has a 4" more wingspan and higher standing reach than Richards. Reach counts more than height, just ask Kawhi.

And despite being larger, Lalanne is faster, more agile, and more explosive.

[BackHome]

He had potential but tons of players have that. If you don't have the basketball smarts or the heart and desire to be a better player then you got no chance of making it in the NBA