Josh Richardson: The Best Replacement for Jimmy
On July 6th, the entire NBA shifted. One of those major moves being that free agent Jimmy Butler chose to sign with the Miami Heat. In exchange, the Sixers landed rising star Josh Richardson. Richardson is the type of defensive-minded player that Philly adores. When seeing how he fits with the Sixers, Josh Richardson actually may be an upgrade on the defensive end from last year that the team so desperately needed.
Over his 4 year career, Richardson averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks. Now to compare the 4-year sample size that Richardson has to Jimmy Butler’s career, the stats may be surprising. Where the Sixers need it the most, Richardson has an above-average 3pt% sitting at 36.8% from deep compared to Jimmy’s 34.1%. Jimmy averages 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks. Richardson’s stats have steadily increased over the past few years which gives hope that he develops into the star that Elton thinks he is capable of being.
A more focused look based on how Richardson will be used in for the Sixers shows that he should excel in the type of offense they have. Richardson had an amazing 1.18PPP (points per possession) when passing out of the pick and roll. That number should skyrocket with Embiid and Horford rolling for him. The most concerning part of Richardson’s offensive game is that he fails to get by defenders easily and struggles to finish when going left. When going right he scores 1 point per possession, but when going left it drops drastically to only 0.68PPP. Now in the new Sixers offense with top tier playmakers, those numbers should not mean much because of the way the ball moves, and with the ball primarily in Ben Simmons’ hands, Richardson will likely score most of his points on the 3pt line and around the rim.
Richardson is a high flyer and extremely athletic finisher. With the loss of Butler and the acquisition of Al Horford, this team will be much slower in transition. Richardson can provide the fast break trailer that Ben Simmons will need in order to continue to be effective in the full court. As a chase down artist and emphatic dunker, Richardson is going to be extremely fun to watch. Off the dribble is where he can create most of his plays and score points. It is understood he will not be running around the court for 30+ minutes like JJ, but that does not mean he won’t fluent in a 2 man pick and roll game with Al Horford who can pop and Embiid who obviously can roll.
It is not insane to think that Richardson fits besides Embiid, Simmons, and Harris better than Butler who preferred ISO ball and to create his own shot. Josh Richardson is not the closer that Butler was, but his efficiency throughout the entire game is quite impressive. Richardson is 6’6 and will be playing the shooting guard for the Sixers this season which will make him the smallest starting defender for the team.
Richardson is on pace to be a top tier 2 way player that this league covets. He is only 25 and going into the 2nd year of his 4yr/41M dollar deal. At only getting a little over 11 million when his deal peaks compared to a max deal which Jimmy signed, Richardson is a steal and Elton got exactly what the team needed.
When comparing the players to see how much of a difference it is, Richardson is younger, a better athlete and has not yet tapped into his true potential to see how good he can be. The Sixers’ system is the perfect fit for him and by having more playmakers and stars, he can really excel as a 2-way role player which this team was missing.
For fans who are not familiar with #0, his effort, grit, and hustle, much like Mike Scott’s will make him a fan favorite in Philly for years to come.
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Categorized:Sixers