What we learned
Inconsistency is something that stood out for Richardson in his second season with the Heat. In his defense, Richardson had to recover from two separate injuries over the course of the season, hence limiting his ability to build confidence and momentum as the season progressed.
But the numbers don’t lie.
Richardson’s best four-game stretch of the season came from Dec. 27 – Jan.1. During this period, Richardson 18.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes per game. Most impressively, he converted at 50.0 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from downtown.
However, this was preceded by a five-game stretch where Richardson posted just 8.0 points and 2.8 assists in 35.5 minutes per game, which featured an abysmal 25.5 percent shooting clip from the field and 15.4 percent from behind three.
The difference between Richardson’s best and worst on the offensive was plain to see, and far too frequent.