Josh Richardson: We Appreciate You
Josh who? Oh, right, Josh Richardson. The guy who came to the City of Brotherly Love when Elton Brand elected to trade-in a proven veteran for a hungry young talent coming off the best year of his nascent career.
Now that we’re at the halfway point, is the Josh Richardson gamble paying off? Short answer: Yes, but it’s complicated.
He’s averaging a solid 15 points per contest and logging just over 30 minutes a game. Although his point average isn’t on pace to exceed his 2018-2019 total (16.6 PPG), he’s performing better from the field and also playing fewer minutes per game (he also notably missed a half a dozen games with a nagging hip flexor injury).
He’s also bringing leadership to a locker room filled with uncertainty and clearly lacking confidence. After the putrid loss to an inferior Indiana Pacers team – and third loss in a row – the frustrated unofficial captain tactfully called for more accountability without appearing to make enemies.
All good, right? Right, although he’s (maybe unfairly) being compared to what the Sixers lost in JJ Redick – sharpshooting. The former 76ers marksman also provided consistency – great off the pick-and-roll (especially with JoJo), created offense by constantly moving off-the-ball, drew fouls and rarely missed from the charity strike. Josh Richardson is not this player. Richardson is a slashing shooting guard with a Shawn Merion jumper and misses too many routine layups. He’s also only shooting slightly better than 75 percent from the line.
Not exactly the guy you want as your starting two-guard, right? Wrong.
He generates offense with his defense and oozes with confidence whenever he’s on the floor. Despite some awkward offensive tendencies, he isn’t afraid to attack the rim or test his limits beyond the arc. He dives on the floor for loose balls (more than most can say on this roster) and works the refs throughout the game.
Failure is not in this man’s vocabulary and that is precisely the recipe needed to win big games in late-May and early-June. So, while his game may look erratic at times, Josh Richardson should have a future in Philadelphia.
Josh, keep doing you. We appreciate you.
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