Nick Richards Discusses What Makes Him Stand Out and LaMelo Ball's "Superstar" Development

Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards sat down with Hornets Radio Play-By-Play Announcer Sam Farber on the Hornets Hive Cast Podcast for an exclusive interview. Topics discussed included Richard's journey into the league during COVID, LaMelo Ball's development, his role on the team and his expectations for the future. All Hornets have selected a collection of the most interesting quotes below and provided some thoughts and analysis.

"Walking into the arena knowing you're going to play a certain amount of minutes, if you do the right things you're guaranteed to play that amount of minutes. I would say it was definitely harder my first two years coming into the league walking in not knowing if I was going to play that night."

Analysis - If there is one thing Steve Clifford values, it's that his players know and understand their role. As much as fans like changing of lineups constantly to see different match-ups, it can be difficult for players to adjust. Richards has emerged under Clifford and proven to be a worthy NBA center after largely being an afterthought under Borrego,

"He's still the same guy personality wise. But, basketball games has definitely gotten one thousand times better. He came into the league with the potential to be a superstar and now he is a superstar. Personality wise, he hasn't changed a bit.

Analysis - The most reassuring part of this quote is it appears LaMelo Ball has stayed grounded and not changed with the success he's had on the court. A large part of that is that Ball was already a superstar as a celebrity before getting drafted, so for him not much as changed. As much as LaMelo talks about being "One of One" and showing off an impressive collection of cars, fashion and jewellery collection, LaMelo is known for his laid back nature. He's happy playing video games, seeing his dogs and relaxing at home. That sounds like your average 20 something year old to me.

"In my first two years I always felt like we lacked offensive rebounding. A guy who can set good screens, protect the rim and bring good energy to the team. That is something that has always come naturally to me... I think my free throw game has also gotten way better as well, so trying to find the thing that the team needs.

"You need to find something that makes you stand out. Me being on the defensive side, anchoring our defense, protecting the rim as much as possible, I think that makes me stand out.

Analysis - Richards is spot on, what he gives on the court is exactly what the team missed in 21-22 and 22-23. What is unclear is whether James Borrego made a mistake not playing him, or Richards wasn't quite ready at the time, both can have traces of truth. Richards is also spot on about his free throw shooting, he has gone improved every year in the NBA, from 64% to 70% to 75% to 77% this season.

Watch the Full Interview Below