Jase Richardson is in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Knicks, and the move gives him his first start of the season. He will start in the backcourt alongside Jalen Suggs, with Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner filling the three and four spots.
The change comes because Paolo Banchero is out with an ankle injury, opening a spot in the lineup and putting Richardson into a larger role for this game. It is a notable step for a player who has come off the bench in two games this season and has averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 assists and 14.0 minutes per game in limited action.
That production is modest, but it is enough to earn a look in the first unit when the lineup needs reshuffling. Richardson has not been announced as a long-term starter, so Sunday is both his first chance to begin a game this season and the clearest test of whether the adjustment holds beyond one night.
