Chris Richard's chances of making the team

Perhaps a bit miffed at playing the team that cut him in favour of Calvin Booth and Mark Madsen, Richard led the Bulls last night in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, outplaying everyone else in the land and changing the game in the fourth quarter. Richard recorded totals of 17 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks in only 30 minutes of action, shooting 5-9 from the field and an impressive 7-9 from the foul line. He even made some clutch foul shots, winning a game that Jannero Pargo and Lindsey Hunter had tried so desperately to lose. All things considered, he was the man for the Bulls last night, and the best player on the court in a sanctioned game between two NBA teams.

This is all doubly unexpected when you consider that in the preseason to date, he had managed only 2 points, 19 rebounds and 17 fouls in 83 minutes.

Richard finally did what he was always advertised to be capable of; he staplegunned himself to the post on both ends, fought for rebounds, and facilitated the occasional shot opportunity just by having opposable thumbs and being around the rim. He's undersized at 6'9, but he has a lot of strength, and he finally employed some of that in knocking around Ryan Hollins and Stewart Gilligan Griffin to garner defensive rebounds and tip-ins, playing like an old fashioned garbageman.

As outlined in the Derrick Byars Team Making Post Thing, the Bulls could perhaps use some extra big man depth. It's their comparative lack of it, combined with a recent speight of injuries and misfortune, that has seen Richard play as much as he has in the preseason so far. But he's been pretty dreadful so far, contributing less than nothing on offense, fouling too much on defense, and being generally of more use when he's not playing. Were such a thing possible for a man signed to an NBA contract, Richard was pretty much a lock not to make it in the NBA.

Therefore, what does this one sudden and unexpected one night outburst do to his chances of making the team?

If he was able to perform like this a little more frequently, he'd have won a spot by now. But unfortunately, Richard's CV to date is not glittering. His one NBA season showed more of the same that he's shown in preseason; little to no offensive ability, adequate rebounding, yet a severe foul problem. And last year in the D-League saw Richard put up the relatively pedestrian numbers of 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 fouls and 2 turnovers per game in a size-starved league, before suffering a bad back injury and missing several months (months which did not lend themselves to the development of offensive ability). He didn't start in his four years at Florida, either, and since he's soon to be 25, there's not going to be a huge breakout any time soon.

Richard's best contribution to an offense is not being in it. He can't pick and roll, can't pick and pop, has never shown a semblance of a passing game, has mediocre touch around the basket, can't post up, has no jumpshot, and has a perpetually poor free throw percentage. Further to that, he's not even that good of a shotblocker, and while his defense can be physical and aggressive, it too is bound to the paint. Richard can't come out with any success on a switch, is undersized to defend most centres and is too slow to defend most power forwards, leaving his sole positive attribute as his rebounding. He's 8 years and one lost drinking game away from being Michael Ruffin. (That was a hair joke, I think.)

Then again, Michael Ruffin has been a Bull twice, and for a reason; he fits a need, sort of. He and Richard might both be short on poise, talent and ball skills, but this is a league in which Ryan Bowen is about to play his tenth season. Those things have never been entirely mandatory. And with the ever-present dearth of capable big men still looming over the NBA like acid rain at a barbecue, Richard's ability and willingness to push people around and fight for rebounds might be enough to get himself another NBA contract some day.

It may even be here. But I can't believe it's likely. Not unless Tyrus Thomas' hip keeps him out another four months.