Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson is getting frustrated with how officials are calling plays against him in recent games. Richardson voiced his criticism with referees for calling flopping against him several times in the midst of the team's recent struggles.
“They're just not doing a very good job of being realistic about it,” Richardson said, per Zachary Weinberger.
It's been a strange season so far for the Heat, who have been very streaky. The team had a four-game losing streak early on in the year, but followed it with a seven-game win streak. The Heat have struggled again recently, losing five of their last seven games. Richardson is averaging almost 11 points for the team on the season, and has worked his way into an important role in the Heat rotation.
But Richardson's minutes are coming at a price. Richardson is becoming a focus for referees in games for trying to make plays. It's not going in a positive direction, as Richardson was called for flopping three times in recent contests. He was fined $2,000 from the NBA for an uncalled flopping violation during a game with the Toronto Raptors.
Richardson is likely to continue getting minutes for the Heat, as the team is battling some injuries. It will be interesting to see whether the trend of flopping continues for the shooting guard. His comments about the referees may also to continue bringing him unwanted whistles during games.
The Heat are 12-10 on the season. The team next plays the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.