Ryan Richards always dreamt of making the NBA, always wondered what it would be like for a kid from Kent to hear his name called out on Draft night from that stage within Madison Square Garden.
Last night, it came, eventually. “With the 49th pick of the 2010 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select…” And there he was. Chosen. Wanted. In.
Not quite. As many second-round picks before him have found, this doesn’t mean the automatic offer of a contract and a place in the rotation. Remember Sergiy Gladyr? Or Richard Hendrix? They were the No. 49s of the past two years. Neither has yet surfaced in the league.
What Richards has to do now is exactly what he had to do for over two hours on Thursday evening.
Listen. And Wait.
Even at 19, the England Under-18 international has already made a lifetime’s worth of dubious choices, relying on (often) questionable advice. Like when he left the productive academy in Gran Canaria two summers ago after being seduced by an offer to join Great Britain coach Chris Finch in Belgium. He could have stayed put and continued his basketballing education. Or accepted a college scholarship to Kansas. Or if he really wanted to turn pro, gone to Real Madrid. Instead, he ended up spending a wasted year sitting on Finch’s bench before heading back to the Canaries.
In recent days, Richards has been telling all and sundry that he will not return to Europe – that he is determined to stay Stateside and play in the D-League if necessary.
“People will say you need to wait out, play for a high-level team in Europe and then go to the NBA,” he told Hoopshype.com. “But you look at guys like Tony Parker or (Thabo) Sefolosha and they didn’t play in great leagues. They worked hard and they had the talent and potential. If you get a great coach on a good team, you can come to play in the NBA.”
The exceptions don’t make the rules. And while scouts have raved about Richards’ talent, two months in the Swiss League does not make you ready to take on Tim Duncan, even in practice. “He's young, he's played very, very little, so this is a developmental project," San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford said. Regardless of poor counsel or youthful bravado, it is time instead to take stock. And if the Spurs believe he should go back to Spain, sign a two-year deal, and start acquiring experience, then that’s exactly what he should do.
The Spurs GM has a peerless track record of playing the long game with his team’s European recruits."He's a gifted athlete, and a pretty good shooter," Buford declared. "That shooting '4' role for us has been pretty important. We'll see how long it takes him to get ready for this opportunity.” Time, thankfully, is still on the young Englishman’s side and the ACB remains a better proving ground than the NBA’s developmental league. He’d earn more money in Spain, too. And as a second-round pick, the rookie salary scale will not apply when the NBA finally comes calling. He will be quids in, either way.
It’s good to have a dream. Richards could yet be the UK’s first NBA superstar. He could yet pull on that Spurs uniform and hear his name announced on the court. But if achieving his goals means a detour back across the Atlantic to serve his apprenticeship, then so be it.
He waited for two hours. Despite the voices in his ear, he can wait a little longer.
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Showing posts with label Ryan Richards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Richards. Show all posts
Friday, 25 June 2010
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Ryan Richards remains in the NBA Draft
Great Britain prospect Ryan Richards has decided to throw his hat into the ring for the NBA. But will anyone play catch?
The Kent-born forward has opted not to withdraw his name from next week's NBA Draft after receiving praise for his workouts over the past month, meaning he will one of those waiting to hear if he is chosen in the annual selection-fest at Madison Square Garden in New York.
48 players who had declared as early entry candidates for the Draft have withdrawn, the league confirmed following the deadline.
Richards, who spent time on loan from Gran Canaria in the Swiss League last season, was considered a long-shot when he arrived at the NBA's pre-Draft camp in Chicago but earned rave reviews. He subsequently worked out for a number of teams, including Memphis, Minnesota, Utah and Golden State, but is likely to be told to gain further experience in Europe if chosen, despite stating he wants to remain in North America.
He said: “I’ve played in quite a few leagues in Europe, I’ve been around a lot of people that could have been in the league but they stayed in Europe, that played in the D-league, that played in college and from what I’ve hear and just from what I’ve seen and (when) I’ve worked out with other players I think that I’m ready to do it now.”
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The Kent-born forward has opted not to withdraw his name from next week's NBA Draft after receiving praise for his workouts over the past month, meaning he will one of those waiting to hear if he is chosen in the annual selection-fest at Madison Square Garden in New York.
48 players who had declared as early entry candidates for the Draft have withdrawn, the league confirmed following the deadline.
Richards, who spent time on loan from Gran Canaria in the Swiss League last season, was considered a long-shot when he arrived at the NBA's pre-Draft camp in Chicago but earned rave reviews. He subsequently worked out for a number of teams, including Memphis, Minnesota, Utah and Golden State, but is likely to be told to gain further experience in Europe if chosen, despite stating he wants to remain in North America.
He said: “I’ve played in quite a few leagues in Europe, I’ve been around a lot of people that could have been in the league but they stayed in Europe, that played in the D-league, that played in college and from what I’ve hear and just from what I’ve seen and (when) I’ve worked out with other players I think that I’m ready to do it now.”
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Friday, 21 May 2010
Ryan Richards makes impression at NBA Draft camp in Chicago
British prospect Ryan Richards has received rave reviews for his performances on day one the NBA’s pre-Draft camp in Chicago.
The Kent-born forward, who was widely criticised for his decision to enter the Draft after only a handful of professional outings in Spain and Austria, impressed scouts and observers in work-outs against some of the best college talent in the USA.
The 19-year-old still has until next month to decide whether to keep his name in contention or return to Gran Canaria for next season but he has now earned the attention of the league’s talent evaluators.
“He’s fundamentally sound,” said Len Elmore, the former NBA star-turned-television analyst. “He doesn’t some of the flaws in his game that you might have if you developed your game in the States, like rolling the ball out or playing in some areas.
“Those are the kinds of guys the coaches want to work with, somebody who has with a bit of purity in their game and with the fundamentals. You can build talent off that foundation.”
Jay Williams, once a college star at Duke University, believes Richards – who was left out of Great Britain’s squads for this summer, was the most surprising performer on show.
“He also showed the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter,” he said. “And also he’s only 19. He’s still growing into that body.”
Watch ESPN's highlights on Ryan from Chicago.
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The Kent-born forward, who was widely criticised for his decision to enter the Draft after only a handful of professional outings in Spain and Austria, impressed scouts and observers in work-outs against some of the best college talent in the USA.
The 19-year-old still has until next month to decide whether to keep his name in contention or return to Gran Canaria for next season but he has now earned the attention of the league’s talent evaluators.
“He’s fundamentally sound,” said Len Elmore, the former NBA star-turned-television analyst. “He doesn’t some of the flaws in his game that you might have if you developed your game in the States, like rolling the ball out or playing in some areas.
“Those are the kinds of guys the coaches want to work with, somebody who has with a bit of purity in their game and with the fundamentals. You can build talent off that foundation.”
Jay Williams, once a college star at Duke University, believes Richards – who was left out of Great Britain’s squads for this summer, was the most surprising performer on show.
“He also showed the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter,” he said. “And also he’s only 19. He’s still growing into that body.”
Watch ESPN's highlights on Ryan from Chicago.
.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Ryan Richards enters NBA Draft
Great Britain Under-20 forward Ryan Richards has decided to enter the nBA Draft, according to reports in Spain.
The 18-year-old from Kent is currently under contract with Gran Canaria but has been on loan this in the Swiss League with Monthey, averaging 13.3ppg and 5.2rpg.
The decision of Richards, who spent a disappointing season with Mons of Belgium before returning to Spain, is considered a surprise given his lack of top-level experience.
His agents will be Herb Rudoy and Ronald Shade.
.
The 18-year-old from Kent is currently under contract with Gran Canaria but has been on loan this in the Swiss League with Monthey, averaging 13.3ppg and 5.2rpg.
The decision of Richards, who spent a disappointing season with Mons of Belgium before returning to Spain, is considered a surprise given his lack of top-level experience.
His agents will be Herb Rudoy and Ronald Shade.
.
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