Nick

Richards

Richards was excellent against Portland, recording his first double-double of the season in 27 minutes off the bench. He played so well that Bulls head coach Billy Donovan inserted him into the lineup to begin the third quarter, with Guerschon Yabusele (six points, five rebounds, one assist and one block) being moved to the bench. With Jalen Smith (calf) out for the foreseeable future, Richards would be worth the risk in deep leagues if he can hold onto that starting center role.

Williams’ ramp-up process will begin in about a week, per Bulls coach Billy Donovan. He’ll miss at least four games, though he will likely miss more than that. He started in place of Jalen Smith (calf) in Chicago’s last game, though both are now expected to miss at least a week, meaning Nick Richards could slide in as a starter against Portland on Thursday.

Donovan said that is when Smith’s ramp-up period will begin, which means he will be sidelined for more than that. That means Guerschon Yabusele will continue to start at center for at least four more games, likely more, with Nick Richards filling out the backup minutes.

Jalen Smith (calf) is also doubtful for this game, which means that Nick Richards is likely to play big minutes alongside Guerschon Yabusele. It also means that Donovan Clingan should be in for a big day for Portland.

While Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday that he expects Smith to miss some time after straining his right calf during Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, he is officially listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game. Guerschon Yabusele played 27 minutes as the starting center in Tuesday’s loss to the Hornets, with Nick Richards logging 22 as the backup. Expect a similar setup on Thursday.

Smith missed Tuesday’s game against the Hornets after exiting early from Sunday’s game against the Knicks. It appears that he may miss a few games, at least. Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards will be the center options for Chicago moving forward.

Williams started in place of Jalen Smith (calf) on Tuesday, but his status for Thursday’s game against the Trail Blazers is up in the air. Nick Richards could start if both Williams and Smith are sidelined, while Collin Sexton should see extra minutes off the bench.

Playing against the Knicks for the first time since being traded at the deadline, Yabusele was productive in his 30 minutes on the floor. Shooting 50 percent from the field, the 6-foot-8 forward recorded his second double-double since joining the Bulls. And with Jalen Smith (calf) exiting Sunday’s game halfway through the third quarter and not returning, Yabusele and Nick Richards (nine points, 13 rebounds and one blocked shot) stand to play more if Smith misses time. The Bulls play three games in Week 18, starting with the Hornets on Tuesday.

Richards is good to go after being listed as questionable initially. While Jalen Smith and Guerschon Yabusele are also available, the former will be under a minutes restriction. This doesn’t make Richards worth the risk in most leagues, but he should play rotation minutes off the bench.

Richards may be sidelined for the second night of this back-to-back. Both Jalen Smith and Guerschon Yabusele started on Saturday, and if Richards is out, they’ll split the minutes at center.