Philadelphia 76ers: Analyzing what Josh Richardson brings to the table

One of the more underrated moves of the summer, here’s a look at what swingman Josh Richardson has to offer the Philadelphia 76ers.

Having faced a stern test in his first full offseason as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, Elton Brand has thus far impressed mightily. In addition to re-signing Tobias Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract, and landing free agent and five-time All-Star Al Horford to a four-year deal, Brand also secured the services of swingman Josh Richardson as part of a four-team deal that saw Jimmy Butler head to the Miami Heat.

With Butler seemingly intent on joining the Heat for some time, and with veteran shooting guard J.J. Redick also departing, Brand and the Sixers desperately needed a perimeter presence to help replace this duo. In Richardson, the Sixers are receiving a still-improving 25-year-old who has shown the ability to contribute significantly at both ends of the floor.

On one of the better value contracts in the league, Richardson has completed just one season of the four-year, $41.9 million contract extension he signed in September 2017, which features a player option for the final year. At 25, Richardson returned career highs across the board last season in points (16.6), assists (4.1) and minutes (34.8) per game.

In particular, it’s Richardson’s ball-handling that has taken a noticeable jump over the last couple of seasons, with his 2:64 assist-to-turnover ratio leading the Heat last season. Considering the success of Redick over his two-year stint with Sixers, comparisons with the veteran sharpshooter are naturally going to arise when gauging Richardson’s contributions to the team.

Here’s how Richardson compared with Redick last season in a variety of offensive stats:

Catch-and-shoot 3-pointers

• Richardson: 38.5 percent  on 4.6 attempts per game
• Redick: 42.4 percent on 4.7 attempts per game

Handoffs:

• Richardson: 1.01 points per possession, 71st percentile
• Redick: 1.10 PPP, 85th percentile

Wide open 3-pointers:

• Richardson: 43.2 percent on 2.5 attempts per game
• Redick: 45.0 percent on 3.0 attempts per game

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1064299284156293121

While Redick has the slight edge in efficiency in these specific areas, the difference isn’t significant. Overall, Richardson shot at 35.7 percent clip from long range on 6.3 attempts per game, while Redick had a 39.7 percent return on 8.0 attempts per game.

Given the chance to play alongside an elite point guard in Ben Simmons, and an overall stronger lineup that will inevitably lead to better looks, Richardson could easily take his perimeter game to another level next season.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1094813080280690688

However, it’s at the defensive end in which Richardson will most make his mark on the team. In particular, Richardson should help the Sixers immensely in handling opposing guards. Per Basketball-Reference, the Sixers had 25 occasions last season in which an opposing guard scored at least 30 points, the most in the league.

In contrast, the Heat had just six occasions in which this occurred. At 6’6″ and with a 6’10” wingspan, Richardson’s combination of athleticism and terrific defensive instincts certainly won’t hurt the Sixers from improving upon their 14th overall ranking in defensive efficiency.

With his ability to play off the ball but also create when necessary, Richardson appears to be a terrific complement to the surrounding stars on the Sixers’ roster on the surface. One example that amplifies Richardson’s ability to contribute at both ends lies in the fact that over the past two regular seasons, just two players in the league have recorded at least 290 triples, 200 steals and 100 blocks, per Basketball-Reference: James Harden and Richardson.

When you combine what he brings to the table, what the team required entering the summer, and the overall numbers of his contract, Josh Richardson’s addition is extremely timely on a number of levels for the Philadelphia 76ers.