In this week’s installment of AllUCanHeat Miami Heat 1-on-1, two contributors answer some questions about the 2018-19 roster.
Diving right into taking a look at the Miami Heat’s 2018-19 roster: what more do you want to see from Josh Richardson this season?
Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer): Honestly, I just want to see Josh Richardson keep improving upon what he’s already been doing for the Miami Heat thus far in 2018-19 play. He’s steady been an elite defender, has taken on a greater offensive role for the team, and has also seemingly turned into the leader of the ongoing youth movement. So at this point, I’m not sure what more fans could really ask for from the swingman. I do hope that his confidence continues to increase though. Often times with more responsibility, comes more self-doubt; especially considering that as a whole, the Heat haven’t exactly gotten off to the best start this season. Richardson needs to stay the course and rise not just above Miami’s mistakes, but his own as well. After all, the year is a marathon, not a sprint.
Jack Leniart (@Leniart_ND): One word: growth. The Heat’s resistance to include Richardson in trade talks earlier this year shows that they see a whole lot of potential in him; potential for him to not only be a solid role player, but to be a player that they can build around in the future. With that growth comes growing pains though. Through the early stages of the season, Richardson has made some mistakes in big moments. I think that is just a product of him stepping out of his comfort zone and into a bigger role on this team. It won’t always be pretty, but Richardson will benefit from it in the long run. As far as what it is I want to see from Richardson the rest of the season, I am focused on the offensive part of his game. Richardson has been scoring more this season – largely due to his increased usage rate. Even with a higher volume of shots, he is on track to finish the year with a better true shooting percentage than he had last season. I would still like to see Richardson become a bit more efficient offensively. I think it is likely that he will do so, as he continues to become more comfortable in his new role.