Richardson is the answer man
With the team’s injuries, forward has upped his game in December
Luol Deng was going to be the successor, until he was more successful as a power forward.
Justise Winslow then was going to be the answer, until the questions continued with his outside shot.
Rodney McGruder eventually stepped up, a complementary contributor at a position that typically requires a leading man.
Along the way, Danny Granger, James Ennis, Joe Johnson and Gerald Green stepped in.
Finding a replacement for LeBron James at small forward never was going to be a simple assignment for the Miami Heat.
Until Erik Spoelstra fell into an unexpected solution.
Because in December, Josh Richardson has been as efficient a two-way answer as the Heat have offered at the position since James’ free-agency departure back to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 offseason.
“One, I think it’s a natural progression for a young player who is gaining confidence,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat in the midst of a two-day Christmas break before returning to the court tonight at American-Airlines Arena against the Orlando Magic. “This is a continuation of the end of last season, completing a good summer of development. He’s gaining more confidence with game minutes. I think that will only continue to get better.
“Now, the other thing would be he’s get--
ting more opportunities and we’ve had injuries. Guys have been in and out of the lineup, so he’s getting more play calls, more touches and he’s making the most of it.” Is he ever. After averaging 7.6 points in November, Richardson is at 17.6 in December. The shooting percentages also have had commensurate gains, from .354 to .548 from the field, .250 to .509 on 3-pointers and .700 to .852 from the foul line.
“I know that the ball isn’t in my hands as much when everyone is back,” Richardson, the No. 40 pick in the 2015 NBA draft out of Tennessee, said, “so I just get in where I fit in a lot of times. Now that a lot of guys are hurt, it is my responsibility to step up where I need to.”
Richardson’s revival has come amid injuries to McGruder, Winslow, James Johnson, Goran Dragic and now Dion Waiters.
It is a revival that includes components of the games of each regular who has been out.
“I think it is important to be able to score at all three levels,” he said of playing in attack mode, converting pull-up jumpers, stepping into shots with confidence from beyond the arc. “I don’t want guys to just think I shoot threes and I don’t want guys to think I only drive it. I just try and stay aggressive.”
As with Deng, Winslow and McGruder at the position before, there also has been the challenge of defending the opposition’s best wing, including the final defensive stand against Kyrie Irving in last week’s victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
“He is showing exactly what he is capable of,” veteran teammate Wayne Ellington said. “He has been leading us. He is not just scoring, he is guarding the best guy every night on the wing and he is taking that challenge.
“He is so talented. He can do so many things that sometimes he doesn’t even know how talented he is. He is going to continue to grow and he will be a great player in this league.”
While that might be hyperbole, it appears the four-year, $42 million extension that kicks in next season will turn into money well spent by Pat Riley and the Heat front office.
“Right now,” Spoelstra said, “what you’re seeing is a player that is gaining confidence every single game. He is becoming somebody new and more dangerous. His confidence is growing exponentially right now and I just want to keep on fueling that.
“His menu is growing. He’s a point forward for us and he can get us organized as a point guard. He can play off the ball and yet he is still taking the challenge one-through-five for us. It’s too bad nobody notices around the league, but he is playing at an All-NBA defensive level for sure.”