Richards (foot) was able to go through Tuesday's practice to open training camp.
Richards missed the season finale due to right plantar fascia discomfort, but that was considered a day-to-day issue at the time. Mark Williams is currently battling a foot injury, so Richards could see a ton of reps in the preseason. In 67 appearances during the 2023-24 regular season, Richards averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Expected to be ready for camp
Rotowire
Coach Steve Clifford said Monday that he anticipates Richards (foot) will be ready for training camp, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Richards missed the season finale due to right plantar fascia discomfort, but the center is considered day-to-day. The Hornets are expected to have a healthy Mark Williams back in the lineup to open the 2024-25 season, but Richards will be penciled in as the primary backup. Richards made 67 appearances this season with averages of 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Cleveland, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Richards will end up missing the season finale due to right plantar fascia discomfort. With Mark Williams limited to just 19 appearances in 2023-24 due to a back injury, Richards ended up making 51 starts on the campaign. Though Richards averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes over 67 total appearances while shooting 69.1 percent from the field, he's expected to return to a bench role in 2024-25 if Williams enjoys better health.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Questionable for Sunday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers.
Richards has missed four of the Hornets' last seven games due to a nagging right foot plantar fascia issue, and it's unclear whether he'll suit up for the season finale after being ruled out Friday. If he's out, the Hornets would be extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt, as Grant Williams (ankle) is also questionable while Mark Williams (back) is out.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Out Friday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Celtics.
Richards and Grant Williams (ankle) have both been downgraded to out, so the Hornets' frontcourt will be extremely shorthanded. Richards has one more chance to suit up this season -- Sunday in Cleveland.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Receives light minutes in return
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Richards (foot) tallied 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 18 minutes Sunday in the Hornets' 121-118 loss to the Thunder.
Making his return from a three-game absence due to right foot plantar fascia discomfort, Richards came off the bench in a game for the first time since Dec. 8 while Grant Williams stuck in the starting five as a small-ball center. Considering how well Williams fared (19 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block in 38 minutes) along with the fact that the Hornets are incentivized to ease Richards back in from the injury, it wouldn't be surprising if the 26-year-old continued to come off the bench during the final week of the season and saw his playing time managed to some degree.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Questionable against OKC
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Richards (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Thunder.
Richards is in danger of missing his fourth straight contest Sunday due to right foot plantar fascia discomfort. Grant Williams will likely draw another start if Richards is ruled out yet again.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Questionable against Orlando
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Richards (foot) is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Magic.
Richards is in danger of missing his third straight contest Friday due to right foot plantar fascia discomfort. If Richards is ruled out yet again, Grant Williams (ankle) will likely draw another start at center.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Cleared to play Wednesday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) isn't listed on Charlotte's injury report ahead of Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Richards was sidelined for Monday's loss to Boston, which was the second night of back-to-back set, but he'll return to action Wednesday. Over his last 12 appearances, the big man has averaged 9.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Won't play Monday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Boston.
Richards was questionable for Monday's matchup, and he'll be unavailable in the second half of a back-to-back set due to plantar fascia in his right foot. Grant Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski are candidates to see increased playing time, while Richards' next chance to suit up will be Wednesday against the Trail Blazers.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Pulls down 16 boards Saturday
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Richards ended Saturday's 132-91 loss to the Hawks with 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 FT), 16 rebounds and one assist over 31 minutes.
Richards showed an efficient touch near the rim and scored in double digits for the fifth time across his last eight games, a span in which he's also grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times. The Hornets have little to play for since they're now officially eliminated from the playoffs, but Richards has been taking advantage of a bigger-than-expected role this season, as Mark Williams (back) has missed most of the campaign. Richards should continue to anchor down low when the Hornets take on the Cavaliers on Monday.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Double-double in Saturday's loss
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Richards closed with 11 points (4-5 FG, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, one block and one steal in 30 minutes during Saturday's 109-98 loss to the 76ers.
It was the fourth-year center's 17th double-double of the season as he continues to build on a career high in the category. Richards has pulled down more than 10 boards in five of the last six games, averaging 9.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks over that stretch while shooting 64.9 percent from the floor.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Double-double streak continues
Rotowire
Richards finished with 10 points (5-7 FG, 0-2 FT), 13 rebounds and two assists over 36 minutes during Monday's 114-97 loss to the Pistons.
Richards has averaged 11.7 points and 12.3 rebounds in 32.3 minutes across his last three contests. Notably, lineups featuring he and new addition Grant Williams have been abysmal offensively but stout defensively, scoring a league-worst 101.0 points per 100 possessions while allowing just 105.5, which ranks in the 98th percentile.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Strong double-double in win
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Richards supplied 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, one block and one steal in 31 minutes during Saturday's 110-99 victory over the Nets.
Richards tallied his second straight double-double, continuing to put up standard-league value on most nights. with Mark Williams (back) likely done for the season, Richards has made the most of his opportunities thus far. He is the 80th-ranked player over the past two weeks, averaging 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds to go with 2.0 combined steals and blocks. He should be rostered in all formats.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Records efficient double-double
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Richards chipped in 10 points (5-6 FG), 13 rebounds, one block and two steals across 30 minutes during Friday's 112-100 loss to Washington.
Richards made his presence felt on both ends of the court Friday, missing just one shot from the field and registering double-digit boards for the first time since Feb. 25. Mark Williams (back) is unlikely to return to action any time soon, especially with the Hornets having nothing to play for in the final weeks of the regular season, so Richards should remain the team's starting center as long as he stays healthy. He's averaging 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game over his last 10 contests.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Cleared for action
Rotowire
Richards (foot) is available Tuesday against Orlando.
Richards will return from a one-game absence due to right foot discomfort. It's unclear if he will face any minutes restriction, but the big man has averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.7 minutes across his last three appearances. His return lowers the fantasy ceiling of Grant Williams.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Sitting out Sunday
Rotowire
Richards (foot) won't play Sunday against the Raptors.
Richards will miss his first game since Jan. 22 due to plantar fascia discomfort in his right foot. Charlotte will be shorthanded at center in his absence, likely resorting to a combination of Grant Williams, Marques Bolden and JT Thor to fill minutes at the position.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Puts up double-double in loss
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Richards contributed 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Friday's 97-84 loss to the Warriors.
Although Richards doesn't always record substantial shot volume, his prowess off the glass has been a bright spot for the Hornets. Richards has been an excellent fill-in for Mark Williams (back), and the Kentucky product is projected to hold onto the role until mid-March at the earliest.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Leads battle on the glass
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Richards finished with 13 points (6-6 FG, 1-3 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one block across 26 minutes during Monday's 111-102 win over the Pacers.
Richards was one of three Hornets with at least nine rebounds Tuesday, fueling a 46 to 32 advantage over Indiana in the rebounding battle. He has burst onto the scene as a top nightly rebounder, and his 67.9 percent shooting is the third-highest mark in the league.
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Hornets' Nick Richards: Bounces back with double-double
Rotowire
Richards recorded 16 points (7-9 FG, 2-3 FT), 11 rebounds and one block in 30 minutes during Friday's 120-84 loss to Milwaukee.
The Hornets lost in a rout Friday, but Richards had a positive performance, going an efficient 7-for-9 from the field. His 16 points tied for the team lead, while his 11 boards paced the club. This was Richards' 11th double-double of the campaign, and he's proven to be a viable fantasy asset as a source of rebounds, blocks and moderate scoring, though he had been struggling coming into Friday with an average of just 4.5 points, 7.5 boards and 0.5 blocks over his previous two contests.
