Despite a slow start, Josh Richardson showed out late in the season

The Miami Heat’s season didn’t end in a playoff berth, but they laid a strong foundation with their young core including the sharp-shooting, second-year guard Josh Richardson. 

While the Miami Heat didn’t make the playoffs, viewing their last 41 games where they posted a 30-11 record as a disappoint would be a shortsighted mistake. The last half of the season proved to be immensely valuable to much of the Heat’s youthful foundation that essentially played playoff basketball for the better part of four months.

One of those players who took big strides in the closing stretch despite an overall uneven 2016-17 campaign was Josh Richardson, the second-year guard who expanded his game as he morphs into a versatile option on both sides of the floor.

Many within the Heat organization were surely looking forward to seeing Richardson and fellow 2015 draft pick Justise Winslow grow alongside each other, but a torn labrum in his shoulder sidelined Winslow for the season after just 18 games.

Richardson experienced challenges of his own this season after a strong end to his rookie campaign, with foot and ankle issues keeping his status in flux on a nightly basis and, on Jan. 8, the Heat shut him down for 20 games as they began a stretch that would turn their season around.

But upon returning, Richardson got his groove back and became a key contributor. Let’s take a look at a very promising finishing stretch for Richardson as he looks towards better health and a more steady contribution to the Heat next season.