Richardson has become a marathon man for Miami
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Josh Richardson long has been appreciated by the Miami Heat for his ability to cover ground.
This season, even with that assignment including more time at the top of the Heat’s zone defense, Richardson has found himself going to great lengths.
Entering Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum, in fact, only four players have gone greater distances, with Richardson, according to NBA Stat’s tracking system, having run 185.1 miles this season. That puts him behind only Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (202.9), Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (192) and Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (119.2).
“Maybe I’ll feel it after the season, but I don’t feel anything right now,” Richardson said Friday. “That’s good, 185 miles. I like that. That’s what — four, five, seven marathons?”
Seven, in fact, is the number for Richardson’s marathon season.
“He’s very active on both ends of the court,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Richardson, who mostly has played off the ball with the exception of the recent injury absence of Justise Winslow, went into the weekend third in offensive distance covered, at 104 miles, behind only Beal (107.2) and Harris (105.9).
“I think there’s more room to grow, more things to figure out in it,” Richardson said of his somewhat recast role this season as a primary scorer in the first unit. “But being off the ball definitely helps my movement a lot.”
He ranks 12th in defensive miles, with Spoelstra expecting a much higher ranking based on his eye test.
“Maybe the zone is what’s distorting that a little bit because he is covering ground, but it’s not 20 feet of ground,” Spoelstra said.
Richardson said the constant sprints from end to end in the zone make it feel like more running than trailing a single offensive player.
“Being active in the zone is not easy defense,” he said. “I think it definitely takes some distance off. Whatever, as long as it’s working.”
As a matter of perspective, Winslow ranks second to Richardson on the Heat in total miles covered at 135.2, with Rodney McGruder third, Bam Adebayo fourth, Kelly Olynyk fifth and Dwyane Wade sixth. Winslow ranks second on the Heat in both offensive and defensive miles covered, with McGruder third in offensive mileage and Adebayo third in defensive mileage.
In a somewhat surprising breakdown, beyond McGruder being the Heat leader in average speed per game at 4.75 miles per hour, Duncan Robinson ranks second and Goran Dragic third.
As for the mileage of Beal, whom the Heat will face Saturday when they take on the Wizards at Capital One Arena to close out a four-game trip, Richardson said the numbers don’t lie.
“Brad’s always been like that,” Richardson said. “I’ve been playing against him since high school. He’s always been a great offensive player. He’s always been in great shape with the running. He’s really maximizing that this year.”
Pushing through: Center Bam Adebayo was removed from the injury report after previously being listed as questionable for Friday night’s game due to a bruised right hip sustained at the close of Wednesday night’s victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
He said he was hurt in the rebound scramble that involved Richardson, Wade and Spurs guard Patty Mills.
“I was trying to inspire my teammates,” Adebayo said. “A minute left on the clock and [the] rebound hits. Patty Mills [and] DWade go for it, [it] bounces that way, I tip it, ball on the floor, [I’m the] first one to hit the deck and J-Rich comes up with the ball.
“I mean it really hurt at that time. But everybody’s beat up around this time.”
Exactly, Spoelstra said.
“He was laying it all out there, doing whatever he had to do to secure that win,” Spoelstra said.