The Miami Heat’s third-year guard is planning some offensive improvement.
Just nine days separates the Miami Heat from their first-round playoff exit to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the short turnaround, Josh Richardson has already mapped out his off-season plans.
Speaking with the Miami Herald, Richardson described the improvements he wants to make.
"“Being consistently aggressive,” he said. “I had my games this year where I would come out very aggressive and some games I would kind of get in my own head about some stuff and not play like I know how to on offense. Being consistently an offensive force.”"
Richardson’s version of an offensive force entails becoming a scoring triple threat: attacking the rim, scoring in the mid-range and launching from 3-point land.
The improvement would be well received. Miami struggled this year with finding consistent offense, impart to the team’s victory-by-committee approach. Nine players averaged double digits, the most for any team during the regular season.
The forward already earned his checks on the defensive side. In an All-NBA worthy season, Richardson’s defensive numbers increased from years past. His 1.7 steals per game were both a personal best, and eight among all forwards in the association.
Already tasked with guarding the league’s best night after night, should Richardson also become Miami’s offensive priority?
Option No. 1
Entering the 2017-18 season, Richardson was pegged as one-fourth of Miami’s core unit. Heat president Pat Riley confidently vouched for a nucleus of Richardson, Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson.
"“Give me four guys their age in the league, and let’s play a four-on-four game and I think we’d have a pretty competitive four,” Riley told the Palm Beach Post in July 2017."
At the time, any of those four could have made a leap this season. After 82 games, Heat Nation learned that Richardson has clear defensive promise, Whiteside is a wildcard, Winslow is an athletic monster and Johnson needs to visit a dentist.
Offensively, Richardson’s game was of question. He broke his career-high in scoring five times this season, notching a peak of 30 points against the Houston Rockets.
But with the highs came trenches. Twice was Richardson held scoreless in at least 24 minutes played, and his offensive aggression fluctuated like a faulty barometer.
For Richardson to morph into Miami’s number one offensive option, consistency is a must. Despite his relapses, he showed his ability to lead the box score. After Dion Waiters decided to have season ending surgery on December 23, Richardson averaged 16.6 points over his next seven contests, filling the offensive void left by Waiters.
Theoretically though, Richardson is Miami’s best candidate to lead their offense. His slinky, 6-foot-6 frame gets the jump on transition play, while providing him enough length to elevate through the lane.
Taking cues from Waiters’ willingness to let shots fly could also serve Richardson’s offensive evolution. According to NBA Stats, he used just 26 isolation possessions through the regular season, a testament to his trend towards relying on catch-and-shoot opportunities (43 percent of his attempts).
Still, Waiters’ impending return might impose growing pains to Richardson’s offensive leadership. Waiters Island is a lonely place, and his preference for iso-ball could usurp similar opportunities for Richardson. In 30 games played last season, Waiters took nearly four times as many isolations than Richardson.
Assuming Miami’s core remains mostly untouched this season, the Heat offer the best opportunity for Richardson to become his best offensive player. His quick first step translates well to defensive pressure, but is equally useful for an exercise in volume scoring.
Richardson would also serve as a rallying force for Miami’s future. A second round draft pick in 2015, Richardson ceiling was fogged over. A pure, athletic talent, Richardson needed to fill out his frame and develop on both sides of the ball to find success.
Three years in, Richardson is finding success on one half of the floor, but his offensive renaissance could make Miami an Eastern Conference force and give the city it’s next star.
Next: The Miami Heat Tip Off: The Hassan Whiteside conundrum
With a salary increase around the corner, Richardson’s next season could make for his biggest offensive leap thus far.