Mitch Richmond joined the Golden State Warriors in 1988. What followed was a decades’ worth of personal awards with the Dubs, the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards before his final dance with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.
He’s been keeping an eye on the changing landscape since, with a special focus on the Kings, who attained their first playoff berth in 16 years earlier this month.
“It feels great because the fans deserve it. They’ve been fighting with that team forever. They’ve come every night to cheer on that team”.
“It’s exciting to watch, they’re [the Kings] fast-paced and they get up and down. They need to play a little more defence if they want to go to the next stop, but they are very hard to guard against”.
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Richmond extended his plaudits to their head coach Mike Brown, with whom he crossed paths during his three-year stint in Washington from 1998.
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“When I was traded to Washington, he was a young coach coming on. To see him throughout his career, with the Lakers, and when he was in Cleveland, it’s clear his style has changed,” Richmond reflects.
“He’s been able to go to different stops and realise he has to change his play a little. He’s a little looser and lets the guys get up and down and move the ball.
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“If you’ve got a lot of players and you’re trying to run up and down, you’re trying to get these guys moving, you’ve got to play fast and you’ve got to share the ball, and that’s the way he’s been doing it”.
The 57-year-old has had his own experiences with experimental coaching styles, dating back to his first season in the NBA.
“I can remember playing against opponents and they didn’t know what we were doing. They were trying to figure it out”.
“We did a lot of practice with the ball and Nellie [Don Nelson] was a genius, knowing where every player played, how to rotate. He always made sure we were balanced on the floor.
Image: Mitch Richmond representing Golden State Warriors at the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery
“You couldn’t stay still. You had to set a pick-and-move. It became our offence, we had to pass and share the ball or he’d start calling plays. We loved that style”.
“People started realising that if we had enough scores, it meant we were playing fast and sharing the ball so everyone got an opportunity to shoot”.
“We had a lot of guys, and the only way you could manage that was by sharing the ball and running up and down. Steve Kerr hasn’t used that style yet because he came from Phil Jackson”.
Can the Warriors, defending champions but currently only sixth in the Western Conference, delve into that rich history of success to power themselves into a deep playoff run this year?
“I think it’s all about the matchups. It’ll be hard to beat Golden State four times. If they can get healthy enough for the playoffs, I think they can really turn it on”.
“You’ve seen this season that they can win at home, but they have to figure out how they can win on the road. You can’t count them out, they’re the defending champions, and they’ve got Gary Payton III too. He’s the glue that’ll hold them together”.
Richmond’s ideas on the rest of the conference echo that sentiment.
“It’s going to be fun to watch. Can Phoenix get on the right track? Can Chris Paul stay healthy? There are so many storylines and I’m so excited to watch it because everything is up in the air”.
“Can the Lakers get healthy? Can the Clippers get healthy? Can the Kings keep going? It’s crazy”.
Richmond captured the Rookie of the Year Award in the 1988 season after averaging 22 points per game for the Dubs. He was a part of Nelson’s tricky offensive trio, alongside Tim Hardaway Sr. and Chris Mullin.
Image: Mitch Richmond (centre) pictured with former 'Run TMC' Warriors team-mates Chris Mullin (left) and Tim Hardaway (right)
He was a relentless shooter within the paint and has his eyes on a similar player for this year’s nomination.
“I’m going to go with [Keegan] Murray. He’s been playing phenomenally. The guy from Oklahoma City [Jalen Williams] is up there too, so I think it’s between the two, but I think I’m going to go with Murray”.
His thoughts on who would emerge victoriously in the NBA finals were far more affirmed.
“I still can’t go against the Warriors. I still think they can do it, I really do. For some reason I can’t go against them. You know how they say it: bay area every time”.
Sourse: skysports.com
