Richaun Holmes
Season stats: 6.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, 56% FG, 12.9% 3PT, 66.1% FT
Grade: D
Rich Homie ‘Chaun lost his spot as the preferred backup center to Amir Johnson this season. He only appeared in 48 games, nine fewer than he played in last season. Additionally, his three-point percentage dropped from a mediocre 35.1 percent to a downright bad 12.9 percent. So, not a great year for the Bowling Green product.
Standing at 6-11 with a high motor and the ability to make exciting plays, Holmes seems like a prototypical second-unit center for the modern NBA. Oddly enough, Brett Brown sometimes opted to use Ersan Ilyasova ahead of the 24-year-old as a center in the playoffs. It’s unclear whether that is more a reflection on Brown’s belief in Ilyasova or his lack of belief in Holmes, but it’s an intriguing choice, considering Holmes’ ability to block shots and slam a momentum-shifting dunk.
Although Holmes has the ideal length and athleticism to become an effective rim protector, he looked lost on the defensive end of the floor frequently this season. He posted a defensive box plus-minus of just 1.9, which Johnson dwarfed by posting a 3.1 rating in that statistic. Additionally, Johnson doubled Holmes’s victories over a replacement player metric, with the vet posting 1.5 and Holmes posting 0.7.
The statistics prove that Johnson made Holmes obsolete, and if Brett Brown calls upon the springy center next season assuming Johnson leaves, he will have to return to the level he showed in the 2016/17 season.