Healthy Richardson gets more comfortable

Reserve guard has missed 30 games with injuries

MIAMI — Heat guard Josh Richardson is finally done thinking about it.

In the most injury-filled season of his career, Richardson admits the setbacks remained on his mind a little bit too long. Now, he is simply back to playing basketball. The Heat are hoping it leads to seeing the Richardson of old for the remainder of the season.

“I think I was just getting my mindset back,” Richardson said. “I know everything starts on defense. I think that was the biggest thing. I just started to forget everything else about my knee and my foot and trying to be careful, and just going out and playing like I know how.”

This has been a difficult season for Richardson, because injuries have kept him from finding his rhythm. He’s spent more time wearing casts and protective braces than playing on the court.

Richardson’s sophomore year in the NBA began with knee surgery that caused him to miss the entire training camp and the first four games of the regular season. A month later, he sat out six games because of an ankle injury. After seemingly getting his health under control, he then missed 20 more games with another ankle issue.

The experience has been completely foreign, because Richardson has avoided injury most of his life.

“In college, I never missed a game,” Richardson said. “In high school, I missed one game because I had the flu. Besides that, I’ve never really missed any time.”

Richardson struggled during the latest return but is starting to show signs he is past the injuries. He had 7 points, six rebounds and five assists Wednesday in a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. He said it was the most comfortable he’s felt on the court this season.

His comfort level is only expected to improve with the more games he plays.

“It’s been good,” Richardson said. “Figuring out how to get through injuries has been good for me. I think I’m pretty close to being back.

“Now, I just got to get my basketball rhythm back. I think I was starting to show good growth before I was injured the last time.”

The Heat rely heavily on Richardson because of the versatility he brings off the bench. He can play both guard positions and has played small forward at times. Teammates have been patient because they know what type of spark Richardson provides.

His emergence comes at an opportune time. The Heat, who have won 17 of their past 20 games, find themselves in the playoff race. They are just one game back of the Detroit Pistons for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It takes time to come back,” guard Goran Dragic said of Richardson. “He missed a lot of games. He missed a lot of practices. When you’re not playing, it’s tough to get back. You need a little bit more time to get rhythm.

“I feel like he’s in good shape. It’s just a matter of time, when everything is going to click for him. We feel like he’s getting there.”

It was at this point last season when Richardson was playing the best basketball of his career. He shot 53 percent from the 3-point line after the AllStar break. Last year’s turnaround is reason for optimism, but Richardson would rather write a new chapter than look backward.

“I’m not trying to dwell on last year too much,” he said. “But it is a point of encouragement for me, because I know I can turn things around.”

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/STAFF FILE PHOTO “I think I was starting to show good growth before I was injured the last time,” says Heat guard Josh Richardson, left.