Miami Heat: Josh Richardson getting it done on defense

While he’s struggling shooting the ball, third-year swingman Josh Richardson is excelling on the defensive end for the Miami Heat.

Much like the Miami Heat‘s season thus far, Josh Richardson‘s form on the offensive end of the floor has been very up and down. But it’s his form on the defensive end of the floor that’s ensured he remains an integral part of the Heat rotation.

Through 20 games, Richardson has the second-best defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) on the Heat roster at 99.1, while averaging 32.8 minutes per game. Furthermore, the Heat are 11.7 points per 100 possessions better off defensively when Richardson is on the floor.

While he has started predominantly at the small forward slot, it’s not uncommon for Richardson to be assigned the task of defending the opposing point guard to commence the game. An extremely athletic 6’6″ swingman with a 6’10” wingspan, Richardson’s ability to cover multiple positions, combined with his superb instincts at the defensive end, make him a nightmare for opposing players.

A prime example of his defensive versatility was his end-of-game closeout of the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal. With the Heat leading 90-88 with just 5.6 seconds remaining, Richardson had the job of containing Beal for the final possession of regulation.

While Beal seemingly had an opportunity for a game-winning 3-point shot, Richardson’s sheer presence altered Beal’s mindset, resulting in a missed mid-range attempt. As Beal explained to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel following the game:

"“I see Richardson closing up pretty hard, so my first instinct was to just shoot a three. Somewhat in my head, I’m still thinking if I should have shot it or not or if I had time to shoot it. I had time to shoot it, but if my feet were set to be able to do. I seen him closing out, so I just wanted to get by him and try to get downhill and act like I was going towards the hoop and just shoot a quick pull-up. He gave me a little bump and I should have shot my step-back. I probably faded a little too much.”"

Furthermore, the numbers back up Beal’s sentiments. Overall, Richardson has the best percentage points difference in the league for players defending at least 10 field goal attempts per game. Through 19 games, Richardson has a defensive field goal percentage of 33.7 percent, which is 11.4 percent below the overall field goal percentage of the players he has defended.

The 24-year-old Richardson is also averaging 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and is 45th in the league with 2.2 deflections per game. However, it’s his offensive game that has seriously stuttered this season. Overall, Richardson is averaging 8.2 points per game while shooting just 35.3 percent from the field and 25.3 percent from long range.

Granted, in games such their recent win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in which the Heat nailed 19-of-39 from 3-point range, Richardson’s struggles can be overlooked. But on the occasions when the Heat have shot poorly as a team, this area of Richardson’s game comes to the forefront much more noticeably.

However, given the glimpses Richardson has shown with his stroke in the past, it’s understandable for the Heat to believe he will turn the corner sooner rather than later.

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But in the meantime, the Heat can certainly count on Richardson’s elite defense to be a presence on a nightly basis.