Nick Richards acquisition plugs some important gaps for Suns

Richards has been having fun with a robust season in Charlotte. He is averaging 8.9 factors, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per sport. His spectacular play off the Hornets bench had made him a scorching commodity amongst contending-level groups heading into the commerce deadline. 

The Suns desperately wanted assistance on the glass. They at present rank 25th in the NBA in rebounds per sport, averaging 42.2 per night time. Richards’ capacity to manage the boards as a part of a second unit, or when working with the starters, ought to enable Phoenix to claim extra management when making an attempt to dictate the tempo of video games.

Richards’ influence runs deeper than that, although. The Suns are lifeless final in offensive rim frequency, with simply 23.3% of their whole offense coming inside 4 ft of the basket, per Cleaning The Glass. Including a real inside scorer, who’s a profession 71.5% scorer across the bucket, ought to give Mike Budenholzer one other dimension to the Suns’ offensive strategy. 

The Suns have struggled to get the perfect out of their present middle rotation. Jusuf Nurkic was not too long ago moved to the bench, and Mason Plumlee, whereas serviceable, has struggled to make a real influence as a two-way massive man. As such, Richards could possibly be strolling into a major function straight from the soar. A 20-24 minute per night time spot within the rotation is not too removed from the realm of chance. 

Whereas the transfer to amass Richards is not Earth-shattering, it does fill a real want for Phoenix. He will not remodel the Suns right into a powerhouse, however he’ll shore up their rebounding, rim safety (ranked 13th in the NBA) and inside scoring. The commerce is a great deal for Phoenix, even when it barely overpaid by way of draft picks and participant compensation.