Looks like we should all start getting used to a little bit more Nick Young this season as Jason Richardson will be sidelined for the rest of the reason with a cartilage tear in his left knee that will require surgery.

As bad as the injury bug has hurt the Sixers this season (See: Bynum, Andrew and Young, Thaddeus), it can always get worse. And, it appears it has. Just days after losing Thaddeus Young for extended time due to  a strained hamstring, we lose out intended starting SG for the year.

Official report and more after the break: 

Here’s the official news via ESPN.com NBA rumor central:

“A report Wednesday night from Yahoo! Sports claims Jason Richardson is done for the season after it was determined that his left knee requires surgery to fix “a cartilage tear the size of a quarter on the right side” of the kneecap. 
The Sixers were asked for a comment regarding Richardson’s status and a spokesman toldThe Philadelphia Inquirer, “No decision has been made at this time on surgery.” 

Richardson is expected to meet with a team doctor on Thursday. 

Richardson was part of the mega four-team trade between the Sixers, Lakers, Magic and Nuggets which sent Dwight Howard to Los Angeles and Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia. It has not turned out well as the Sixers are still waiting for Bynum to play his first game and Richardson’s season is probably over. 

Richardson is signed through 2014-15 and he has $12.80 million remaining on his contract after this season.” -ESPN 

Pragmatically, I’m not sure this changes all that much. Whether you view that as a good thing or a bad thing is a different story. Nick Young will likely step into the starting role with Dorell Wright accruing most of Young’s vacated minutes off the bench.

Overall, that shouldn’t represent a major drop in production or style of play for the Sixers; both J-Rich and Young do the same kinds of things on a basketball court. We’ll lost some efficiency and defense perhaps. But, easily make that back again in stupid fadeaways and tall hairstyles.

Ladies and Gentlemen: your 2012-2013 Sixers!

The question then is, can Swaggy-P maintain his moderately inspired play of late (I think i actually saw him guarding someone the other night…). And, perhaps more importantly, does anyone care?

While saying this is like “rearranging deck chairs on the titanic” is a little harsh, it’s at least akin to moving buffet tables on the Costa Concordia: we aren’t sinking per se, but we are definitely in the water sideways . Someone, flip us over already…