Chris

Richard

Noah will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after X-rays came back negative after the game. “I just felt it pop, I put it back in,” Noah said. “I got the X-ray, it came back negative so that’s a positive.” We’ll keep an eye on Noah’s status going forward, as Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson stand to see a minutes boost if he misses any time.

Others in the workout include power forward Jarmareo Davidson of Alabama; Providence power forward Herbert Hill; and center Anthony Tolliver of Creighton. Each of these bigs is a senior projected as a second round pick. The Jazz pick 25 and 55.

Nearly all second-round picks sign for the league minimum salary, but Richard and his agent are fighting for more guaranteed money than the Wolves are offering. Richard should actually get some playing time if he signs, due to the loss of center Mark Madsen for the first portion of the season. “By Saturday, he has to make a decision,” Kevin McHale said.

He’s a Florida product and would have gotten much more exposure had he not played for the champs. He’s a bit of an unknown entity and was certainly worth a shot for Kevin McHale and company here.

“We don’t have a lot of bangers,” coach Randy Wittman said. “He’s a legitimate banger. He likes contact; he likes to hit people. Those guys are hard to come by these days.” The second-round selection remains on the bubble for a roster spot though - he could start the year in the Developmental League.

With Madsen sidelined , Richard, a second-round pick, should get a guaranteed contract as opposed to the team waiting to see how he performs in training camp.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed Saturday and the 6-foot-9 forward from Florida may get some extra minutes as Mark Madsen recovers from shoudler surgery. He has no fantasy value.

Richard isn’t going to have fantasy value anytime soon, and we’re not quite sure why Randy Wittman is still starting him over Antoine Walker and Craig Smith.

The Wolves second-round pick started in place of Craig Smith tonight. The Timberwolves were without Marko Jaric and Rashad McCants, so Smith came off the bench to give the second unit some offensive punch.

Once Tyrus Thomas is healthy, we expect Richard to become a forgotten man.