How good was Michael Ray Richardson?

[EGarrett]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... ami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

[moocow007]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

His numbers most definitely were not inflated. As far as PG's to ever play for the Knicks? 2nd only to Walt Frazier BY FAR. Richardson very much played and looked like Magic Johnson when he was on the floor (before the drugs and boozing sucked it out of him of course). Was one of my most favorite Knicks growing up. Big, strong, athletic. Can take it to the hoop where he could absorb contact and finish or dish it to an open man. No look passes (where really the Magic resemblance happens). Just absolutely terrific anticipation and reflexes on defense...especially considering how big he was relatively to the guys he usually was guarding.

[TKF]

i SAW him play live at the garden quite a bit.. good defender, very,very good ball handler, scorer.... Guy was nasty, absolutely nasty... very good passer, and played the passing lanes great... tyreke evans if he passed well, defended well and had a jumper would resemble sugar ray a bit.. LOL

[TKF]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

His numbers most definitely were not inflated. As far as PG's to ever play for the Knicks? 2nd only to Walt Frazier BY FAR. Richardson very much played and looked like Magic Johnson when he was on the floor (before the drugs and boozing sucked it out of him of course). Was one of my most favorite Knicks growing up. Big, strong, athletic. Can take it to the hoop where he could absorb contact and finish or dish it to an open man. No look passes (where really the Magic resemblance happens). Just absolutely terrific anticipation and reflexes on defense...especially considering how big he was relatively to the guys he usually was guarding.

if not for the drugs, the sky was the limit... we are possibly talking top 15 of all time... and let me correct my last post.. he was a great defender...

in that 1978 draft, Mychal Thompson(clay thomposon's dad) was drafted first, Michael ray 4th.. and larry bird 6th... mo cheeks was a second round pick that year.. funny how things turn not.. LOL

[moocow007]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

His numbers most definitely were not inflated. As far as PG's to ever play for the Knicks? 2nd only to Walt Frazier BY FAR. Richardson very much played and looked like Magic Johnson when he was on the floor (before the drugs and boozing sucked it out of him of course). Was one of my most favorite Knicks growing up. Big, strong, athletic. Can take it to the hoop where he could absorb contact and finish or dish it to an open man. No look passes (where really the Magic resemblance happens). Just absolutely terrific anticipation and reflexes on defense...especially considering how big he was relatively to the guys he usually was guarding.

if not for the drugs, the sky was the limit... we are possibly talking top 15 of all time... and let me correct my last post.. he was a great defender...

in that 1978 draft, Mychal Thompson(clay thomposon's dad) was drafted first, Michael ray 4th.. and larry bird 6th... mo cheeks was a second round pick that year.. funny how things turn not.. LOL

Oh absolutely agreed. Really too bad about the drug thing. Had the potential to be one of the greatest.

Yeah those days with the 10 rounds was a hoot. What was interesting was that Bird actually fell because teams weren't sure whether he would actually stay at Indiana or not (back then there was a rule which Bird fell into that would allow a team to draft him but also allow him to choose to go back to college). He did end up going back to Indiana but Boston kept his exclusive rights and signed him a year later (why a lot of people thought that he actually came out of the 1979 draft...with Magic...instead of the 1978 draft).

[TKF]

Oh absolutely agreed. Really too bad about the drug thing. Had the potential to be one of the greatest.

Yeah those days with the 10 rounds was a hoot. What was interesting was that Bird actually fell because teams weren't sure whether he would actually stay at Indiana or not (back then there was a rule which Bird fell into that would allow a team to draft him but also allow him to choose to go back to college). He did end up going back to Indiana but Boston kept his exclusive rights and signed him a year later (why a lot of people thought that he actually came out of the 1979 draft...with Magic...instead of the 1978 draft).

great point about bird and the celtics.. I think a lot of people forgot that point.. if teams were sure he was coming out, he would have gone higher, although guys like phil ford and thompson were highly, highly regarded college players as well...

[Galloisdaman]

I did not view him as anything like Magic although some people did. I viewed Sugar Ray as the opposite. He played the game much faster. He was like a bull in a china shop with a ton of speed and power. He actually used to give Magic some problems playing head to head in part because he was so strong and in part because he was such a ball hawk on defense. Sugar would make some insane plays but also some not so great plays. He did not have the offensive consistency of the superstars in the NBA but when he was on he was near impossible to stop. His speed and power combined with his intensity made him great on defense. Around 1984 The 76ers were coming off a dominant season and playoff run to win the championship. They had 3-4 hall of Famers on starting on that team (Moses, Dr J, Andrew Toney, Mo Cheeks) plus Bobby Jones off the bench. Sugar Ray played a large role in upsetting that team in the first round of the playoffs. Sugar and Ray Williams were one of the best guard tandems for a little while.

[Clyde_Style]

Most talented PG in Knicks history. Walt was the best PG, but for a time MRR was # 2 until he flamed out. The guy was dynamite. His backcourt mate Ray Williams was pretty darn good too.

MRR's handle was one of the sickest of all time. He could manipulate the ball like a yo-yo master.

[denterprise]

His drug addiction robbed us of a HOF player. He was right there with Magic but with more speed. He had a tough rookie season, but boy did he turn it around after that. What happened to him was tragic right up there with the Mets Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. As a Knick fan I can only shake my head and think of what could have been. Dam you Melo!!!

[Huey Freeman]

He is my fav Knick of all-time behind Bernard King. I only speak of Knicks I actually saw/remember watching at the Garden. Zeke has stated that he hated to play against him because of his length and long arms/defense. MRR was everything previous posters already stated.

Btw, Moo - it was Bird at "Indiana State", correct? Larry had left IU and Bobby Knight during his Freshmen season and didn't return.

[thebuzzardman]

If I recall, he had some flashes with Nets, but the drugs were kicking in full stop at that point. But he'd look brilliant for a bit, then miss games, etc.

One of the great "What ifs"

[NY_Kn1cks]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

Jason Kidd never averaged 20 per

[moocow007]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richami01.html

I've heard a lot of stories about this guy but never got to watch him. He was a 6'5" guard who, over 3 seasons starting for the Knicks, averaged 16 points, 7 boards, 8-10 assists, 3 steals and was a 3-time All-Star and 1st Team All-Defense. Almost like a mini-Magic with shutdown D. Or a Jason Kidd who could score 20 per.

He then had drug issues for awhile, but recovered enough to play a full season of starters minutes for the Nets, where he averaged 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists with 3 steals.

This guy was pretty damned sick. Where do you rank him amongst the Knick pantheon? Were his numbers inflated, or could he have been the best guard NYC has ever had?

Jason Kidd never averaged 20 per

He's saying that MRR is basically Jason Kidd if Kidd could average 20 per. Basically he's saying that MRR is an offensively strong version of Kidd.

[Grover]

He was all those things. His only weakness was his outside shooting. He and Ray Williams were an awesome backcourt tandem. They just didn't get much help up front. Tyreke Evans with great passing ability is a very fair comparison.

[BernardKing]

I was only 10 when he played his last Knick season, so I couldn't fully appreciate his time with the Knicks. Being the first player to ever lead the league in steals and assists speaks to what might've been... Did he ever team up with Roy Tarpley overseas?