It’s funny how quickly things can change.
One year ago, Josh Richardson had just completed his first Summer League gauntlet with the HEAT. At the time, it was unclear how the 40th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft would fit in, but Richardson’s hard work paid off and he made some serious noise in the second half of the regular season.
Now with Dwyane Wade in Chicago, Richardson is likely looking at a larger role in his second year. Whether that entails starting or coming off the bench remains to be seen, but that doesn’t seem to faze the former Tennessee Volunteer.
“I don’t think too much into it. I mean, if that’s what they want me to do, than I’ll gladly step up and do that and handle what I need to handle,” Richardson said about the possibility of starting. “But I’m not a guy that’ll think too much into stuff like that. If I start, then I’m going to do my best there. If I’m coming off the bench, I’m going to do my best there and I’m going to cheer on the starters until I get on the court.”
Speaking of on the court, the 6-foot-6 combo guard showed a lot of growth in Summer League play earlier this month, averaging 16.7 points and 4.7 assists per contest on 47.2 percent shooting. In his three games, the 22-year-old looked very poised and remained in control of the offense. He also showed a penchant for knocking down in-rhythm, catch-and-shoot jumpers.
“This year, I just wanted to, you know, see the game better,” Richardson said. “Last year, I was just trying to score and show I could play, but this year I was just trying to focus on myself from a playmaking standpoint.”
With a number of new faces on the team, playmaking will indeed be critical. Richardson realizes the importance in facilitating for his teammates, hence his approach in Summer League.
“Playing with guys like Hassan [Whiteside] and, you know, Justise [Winslow], and we got Wayne [Ellington] coming in, guys like that. It’s going to be a lot of guys I can kick it to or guys I need to see plays for, so just really just playmaking was a big thing.”
It’ll also be interesting to see how the influx of guards on the roster mesh in the early going. Despite all the uncertainty, the young man out of Edmond, Oklahoma possesses the right attitude needed to continue to be successful.
That was on display often in Richardson’s rookie campaign, as he displayed maturity and remained levelheaded regardless of the situation. While that will be key once again, a lot has changed for him over the past year.
“[The past year has] been pretty hectic, but it’s been great. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Richardson said. “I knew that, you know, if I got on the court then I would be effective and I’d help our team in some way, but I didn’t know when it would be. When I got thrown out there last year, I was ready to go because I’m just a guy who always works on my game.”
That work led to the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award in March right as he was hitting his stride. Looking back, it’s crazy to think about all Richardson has accomplished in just a year’s time.
I guess what they say is true.
Time flies.