Following a slow start to the season, Josh Richardson is rewarding the Miami Heat will his stellar level of play.
The beginning of his third NBA season was not kind to Josh Richardson.
After the Miami Heat expressed their faith in the Tennessee product by signing him to a four-year, $42 million contract extension, Richardson was unable to repay their faith initially.
Having earned the starting small forward spot for opening night due to the untimely injury to swingman Rodney McGruder, Richardson struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor. Over his first 19 games of the season, Richardson averaged just 8.2 points in 32.8 minutes per game, which included shooting at a 35.3 percent clip from the field and 25.3 percent from 3-point range.
Fast forward the clock, and Richardson has been among the best small forwards in the league in recent weeks.
Three-star recruit. 40th pick in the draft. One day they will stop underestimating Josh Richardson. https://t.co/BFWGH3FqP7
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) December 27, 2017
In the ensuing 15 games, Richardson has averaged 17.3 points in 34.0 minutes per game. Most notably he has shot at a fantastic 54.1 percent clip from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. Break this down even further, and Richardson has averaged 21.5 points in 37.3 minutes per game over the last six contests, featuring the incredible shooting splits of .543/.419/.889.
As a team, the Heat have now five of their past seven games, and the 24-year-old Richardson has been enormous contributors to this with improved performances. Recently, head coach Erik Spoelstra heaped praise on Richardson for the growth he has shown:
"“He’s becoming somebody new and more dangerous. His confidence is growing exponentially right now and I just want him 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 is still taking the challenges of one through five. It’s too bad nobody notices around the league, but he’s playing at an All-NBA defensive level for sure.”"
As Spoelstra alluded to, while Richardson’s offensive struggles earlier in the season were a concern, his level of play on the defensive end of the floor has never deviated. Thus far, Richardson is averaging 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
Through 34 games, Richardson has already had six games in which he has captured at least three steals and six games of two blocks or more, including a season-high three blocks during a home win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
A month ago people were asking me why the Heat gave Josh Richardson such a big contract. Now they’re wondering what this team would be without him. Knock the Heat all you want, but they got this one right. He’s a building block.
— Will Manso (@WillManso) December 27, 2017
In addition, Richardson has also averaged 2.2 deflections per game and has held his direct opponent to shooting 6.2 percent below their season average, which ranks fifth in the league among all starters who have played at least 25 games.
But while Richardson’s defensive exploits have always been there foundation of his game, his ability to produce consistently on the offensive end is ultimately what’s going to set him apart as the Heat look to return to the playoff action.
Richardson’s recent impact has been so dramatic that Josh Lloyd, host of the Locked On Fantasy Basketball Show, recently posed the following question on Twitter:
Is Josh Richardson the Heat's best player?
— Josh Lloyd (@redrock_bball) December 27, 2017
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition
While a definitive answer to this question is difficult, Richardson is certainly headed in this direction if his recent level of play continues in a similar manner.