You do realize if Richie Saunders were exactly the same player as he is, BUT the same height as Egor Demin...

he STILL would not be on anyone's draft boards as a lottery pick. He'd be a 2nd round hopeful at best.

Richie is very likeable for his value as an Glue guy who works his tail off to be the best version of himself the whole time he's on the court. AND for all his maniacal effort, he generally plays within himself, even if he stretches a bit too much on a given play (which is a REQUIRED risk in big games, so I would never call that a net negative in Richie's case; it's a strength in Richie that he's willing to risk, but rarely does it to the detriment of the team).

Part of of the deal in being the team's Glue guy, though... is knowing full well that you're NOT the team's best player. Either on offense — or really in Richie's case — on defense either. (Though over the long haul of the game, Richie ends up being our defensive MVP many nights.)