Richardson out with hamstring injury
PHILADELPHIA >> Already shorthanded as Joel Embiid recovers from a finger injury, the 76ers will be without starting guard Josh Richardson for at least the next six games.
According to the club, Richardson sustained a strained left hamstring in a 107-95 loss Wednesday in Toronto and has been declared “out” for an 8:30 Saturday night visit from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers said he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
If the Sixers choose to employ caution, and it often does, Richardson could be out for nine games, allowing him additional rest during the All-Star break. That will begin after a Feb. 11 visit from the Clippers.
Should Richardson recover through the break, it would make him available for a Feb. 20 Wells Fargo Center game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Richardson played just 3:52 of the Toronto game, going scoreless. Adjusting on the fly, Brett Brown gave seldom-used Shake Milton 22:11 of unexpected work.
Though Milton provided nine points, including 3-for-6 3-point shooting, he would be an unlikely lineup replacement for Richardson. It’s possible Brown will share his plan Friday after the Sixers practice in Camden, N.J. They did not practice Thursday.
Among Brown’s options for replacing Richardson in the lineup are Furkan Korkmaz and Mike Scott. Korkmaz has become a go-to shooter, even being used in plays that had been mothballed after the departure of J.J. Redick. Brown, though, tends to prefer a better defensive presence earlier in games and could be reluctant to jostle Korkmaz from what has become a successful backupscorer role.
When Embiid was first injured, Brown moved Al Horford to center and started Scott. He quickly pivoted, however, from Scott to Matisse Thybulle.
Richardson has averaged 15.0 points in his first season with the Sixers. However, he has been haunted by hamstring troubles. Earlier, a right hamstring injury rendered him inactive for six games. During the just-completed three-game road trip, Richardson showed value at both ends, something the Sixers should miss against the 35-9 Lakers.
Embiid remains unavailable as he recovers from surgery to repair a dislocated left ring finger, and may also be lost through the All-Star break.
The Sixers have won four of their last five and were anticipating a test from the Lakers. That game will be followed by a visit from the Warriors before a four-game road trip to Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Milwaukee that has a chance to define their status in the Eastern Conference.