Swingman Josh Richardson is already looking forward to joining his new team on the court, after being part of a multi-team trade that sent him from the Miami Heat to the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping to bring a three-and-D presence to the City of Brotherly Love.
“I think I can space the floor for guys like Ben and Joel to work,” Richardson told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think I bring a defensive presence on guards and just a good work ethic really and a good locker-room guy. I’ve always been a glue guy on every team I’ve been on. So I think I can bring some good chemistry to the team.”
The Heat experimented with the idea of making Richardson their go-to player, and while it worked the first couple of months, it soon became a tough cross to bear, as his numbers noticeably dipped from the near-20-point scoring average he started the 2018-19 campaign with.
Now with well-studded company in the starting lineup, J-Rich can slide right into the shooting guard spot, giving the likes of Al Horford and Joel Embiid plenty of space to dominate on the block, while helping the Sixers' best-paid man Tobias Harris to build from his best season yet as a pro.
“You see what Al has done over his 12-year career,” Richardson said. “You see [that] Joel has made himself one of the top three if not one of the best centers in the league. Ben is just a force the way he handles the ball. And Tobias has built himself into a great player.”
Richardson is a career 36.8% shooter from deep and one of the best up-and-coming defenders. He averaged 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Heat last season.
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