Richardson adjusting to lead offensive role

MIAMI — Josh Richardson is leading the Miami Heat in scoring through 10 games, and that’s new for him.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward is also leading the Heat in field goal attempts – by a considerable margin – and that’s really new for him.

Richardson is averaging 20.7 points per game and is taking 17.7 shots per game to get those points. Point guard Goran Dragic is second in both categories at 16.1 and 13.4, respectively.

It’s a considerable leap for Richardson from just last season when he averaged 10.9 field goal attempts per contest.

With that much shooting and it being such a new burden on the fourth-year pro out of Tennessee, there will be games like Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, where Richardson was 6 of 22 from the field, missing 12 of his first 13 attempts.

“I’m going to have nights like [Wednesday night],” said Richardson, who finished with 14 points. “It’s not my night, but I have to stay aggressive. I have to keep the defense honest, keep them shrinking so I can find guys and find other ways to impact the game.”

That was the main point coach Erik Spoelstra tried to nail home when asked about Richardson postgame. He found other ways to leave an imprint on the 95-88 win over San Antonio, with his defense and dishing out five assists.

“You got Wayne Ellington on the court with you, it makes it a little bit easier, and I was trying to get him some looks,” said Richardson of Ellington, whose six 3-pointers led to 20 points. “I think everyone did a good job collectively of attacking.”

Heat President Pat Riley spoke with reporters for the first time this season on Thursday, and Richardson’s off-shooting night came up.

“As long as you guys keep calling him a go-to guy, he’s going to have bad games. Let that organically happen, and I think everybody’s aware that he has the ability,” Riley said. “I’m really proud of Josh. He’s got the ability to really step up at his age, and he’s doing it right now.”

Honoring the veterans:

Riley and Heat legends Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice were among those from the Heat helping a pair of veterans on Thursday afternoon with renovations to their Miami-Dade County homes.

With Veterans Day on Sunday, the project is part of the Heat’s ongoing initiative to support U.S. servicemen and servicewomen at home and abroad, Home Strong.

Riley spoke with reporters from the Coconut Grove home of James Sands, a 93-year-old Army veteran who served in World War II.

“This is so remarkable in his life that we have a tendency to forget about it. We appreciate them. I think they appreciate what we do. I think the community does,” Riley said. “Ever since 2006, since Home Strong really became sort of part of an entity and part of the Heat, we do as much as we can, and I don’t think we do enough. I think we can do more.”

The Heat also helped renovate the Coral Gables home of Willie Mae Williams, 67, an Army Veteran who was stationed at Ft. Lenordwood, Mo., serving from 1969-1970.