2025-26 Season
NICK RICHARDS
2025-26 Season
NICK RICHARDS
PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology
TEAM COMPARISON
of 21 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
Similar Players
Same position, closest production profile this season.
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 93 Centers with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Nick Richards spent the first quarter of the season riding a chaotic seesaw as a situational big man, oscillating wildly between micro-stint dominance and defensive liability. Look at his performance on 10/27 vs UTA, where he scored just 6 points but posted a massive +7.4 impact score. He earned that lofty rating by anchoring the interior defense and ripping down 10 rebounds, creating enough non-scoring value to overcome his sluggish shooting. Conversely, his outing on 10/25 vs DEN was an absolute disaster. He posted a brutal -7.8 impact in just 10 minutes because his poor positional awareness in drop coverage allowed opposing guards to walk right into comfortable mid-range jumpers. When elevated to the starting lineup on 11/13 vs IND, he completely vanished as a roll threat, failing to attempt a single field goal and dragging his team down with a -5.2 impact. When he sets hard screens and protects the rim, he survives. When his physicality wanes, he becomes completely unplayable.
This erratic midseason stretch was defined by maddening inconsistencies, as Nick Richards constantly oscillated between bruising interior enforcer and self-sabotaging liability. On 12/29 vs WAS, he endured a nightmare offensive performance, managing just 2 points on a brutal 1-for-8 shooting night. However, he still posted a +2.3 impact score because his sturdy interior defense and nine rebounds provided essential non-scoring value that kept the second unit afloat. Conversely, his box score production often masked damaging hidden costs on the other end of the floor. During the 03/01 vs MIL matchup, Richards scored 11 points but registered a -2.7 impact because a slew of costly illegal screens and moving fouls completely negated his interior finishing. A similar story unfolded on 03/12 vs LAL, where he racked up 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting but sank to a -2.3 impact because a total lack of rim deterrence allowed the opposition to score at will. When he simply sets hard screens and protects the paint, he thrives, but his overall effectiveness evaporates the moment his fundamental discipline slips.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Struggling. Richards has posted negative impact in 77% of games this season. The production rarely outweighs the cost.
Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 57% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.
Average defender. Richards doesn't hurt you defensively, but he's not making opponents uncomfortable either.
Getting better as the season goes on. First-half impact: -6.3, second-half: -2.2. That's a significant jump — could be a role change, confidence, or development clicking.
Tends to go on runs. Longest hot streak: 6 games. Longest cold streak: 27 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Based on 73 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
47 games played
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