The Miami Heat are fighting for a playoff spot and have been riddled by injuries all season long, with their All-Star Goran Dragic being out for the majority of the year. However, injuries have opened the door for two-way star Josh Richardson.
The Miami Heat have been a roller coaster of an NBA team this season, however, there have been a few glaring bright spots on this team that have pointed toward a better future for South Florida.
Led by Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and General Manager Pat Riley, this Heat team has been constructed in a very odd way, yet, a way that is somewhat commendable after seeing the “Big 3” break up, as losing LeBron James should destroy your organization (see Cleveland Cavaliers). Riley believes in this Heat team, for better or worse, and he explains best why in an interview via Fox Sports’ Jason Jackson:
"“We have eight players on this team that are 28 to 20, OK, so we got a good young core,” Riley said. “And we know the guys we really value, our young guys in Justise [Winslow] and Josh [Richardson], and Bam [Adebayo]. But you know, Derrick Jones Jr., he’s a hell of a player from that standpoint. … We have a lot of young players, a lot of young assets, who have experience."
Shouting out Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo, Derrick Jones Jr., and Josh Richardson is definitely what Heat nation will agree with in that quote, however, no one agrees that the future of this team is in guys like Dion Waiters or Hassan Whiteside. Therefore, which one of the mini “Big 3” of J-Rich, Winslow, and Bam can do the most damage?
The answer is simple, and Erik Spoelstra illuminates us here:
"“We felt it was the natural evolution in [Richardson’s] fourth year. He put in a terrific summer of work. He really dedicated himself to player development, and to building up his body in order to have a bigger workload on both ends of the court,” Spoelstra said before Miami’s victory over the Mavericks on Feb. 13. “He’s capable of being a dominant two-way force.”"
The 25-year-old, Josh Richardson, is averaging career highs in almost every statistical category: 17.4 PPG, 4.0 AST, 3.6 TRB, 1.0 STL, with shooting splits of 41.8/37.5/86.5.
While those numbers aren’t jaw-dropping, its Richardson’s intangibles and grit that separates him from the rest of the wings in the league. That can be best shown in J-Rich’s free throw attempts, increasing his shots from the charity stripe from 1.8 to 3.3, while increasing his FT percentage by 3 points. Richardson’s aggression and intensity can be shown in his clutch defense and his attacking nature on offense, also shooting career highs from the perimeter, proving that he can be more than a reliable 3-point shooter.
Ultimately, Richardson has blossomed into a 3-and-D wing that can also play point guard when you need him too, making him one of the best assets on one of the best contracts ($33 million over next 3 seasons) that you can find in the league.