University of Tennessee Athletics
Richardson's NBA Career Heating Up
March 22, 2016 | Men's Basketball
By Cody Gross
If Tennessee basketball alum Josh Richardson’s rise in NBA draft stock last summer provided any indication of how his first season would play out with Miami, his increased role and consistent play with the Heat should come as no shock.
Just as Richardson’s stock dramatically increased between the conclusion of his senior season and the NBA Draft, his impact on the Heat has become much more prevalent since his boost in minutes in February.
The former Tennessee star has acclimated to the NBA and has excelled on the floor since the All-Star break.
In 16 games since the break, Richardson has averaged 10.8 points in 26.7 minutes per game. Prior to that, he had averaged just 1.9 points over 11.5 minutes per game.
Aside from his emphatic dunks—as well as his high-flying, fast-break-halting blocks—Richardson’s shot has emerged as a key weapon for Miami’s offense in recent weeks.
The 2015 second-round draft pick is hitting at a 64 percent clip from 3-point range since the break, which leads the league among players who average two or more attempts per game. In the last eight contests, the Edmond, Oklahoma, native is 22-of-30 (73 percent) from long range. And in three of the last five games, he has made at least four shots from beyond the arc.
Equally impressive is Richardson’s efficiency on the floor. In the 16 games since All-Star weekend, his plus-minus rating is 4.1, and he has posted a double-figure plus-minus in three of Miami’s last five games (+10 vs. Cleveland March 19; +17 vs. Denver March 14; +13 at Chicago March 11).
He continues to take care of the ball, averaging a mere 0.7 turnovers over the last 11 games. Since the break, Richardson has a 2.17 assist-to-turnover ratio. His efforts on both sides of the ball have contributed to Miami’s 11-5 record during that span (the Heat are 40-29 overall and occupy third place in the Eastern Conference standings).
While he has impressed on the offensive end, the defensive mindset that Richardson has built his brand on throughout his basketball career was a component that attracted Miami team president Pat Riley to draft the VFL.
"I know the way the Miami Heat likes to play defense, they like to guard and get into people," Richardson said in a June 2015 teleconference after the draft. “I fit that mold. I think I can come in and give them some great defense, and knock down some open shots."
Averaging more than six baskets per game to go along with two multi-steal outings and a career-high three-block game in his last five appearances, Richardson has met and exceeded the offensive and defensive expectations that the Heat had for him coming into the organization.
As the Heat move closer to clinching a playoff spot, Richardson’s increasing impact will be tested game after game as the team fights for a Southeast Division title and top-four seed in the playoffs.
Richardson, though, sees that as an opportunity to excel.
"I think I'm prepared for every situation at the pro level, and I can do it to the best of my abilities."
