Josh Richardson was a kinesiology major for four years at the University of Tennessee with plans to one day be a surgeon.
So here he is on the court at the Orlando Pro Summer League slicing up defenses just as he did in a surprising rookie turn with the Heat last season.
“This is more fun,” Richardson said Tuesday after rolling up 22 points and six assists for Miami in an 84-68 win over Orlando.
It’s been a whirlwind year for the 6-foot-6 guard since the Heat made him a second round pick (No. 40 overall) in the 2015 Draft. He had started making the shift from a spot on the wing to playing the point in his senior year in college and was projected in the draft as a combo guard.
“I wasn’t really sure what to envision,” Richardson said. “I thought I would be in a developmental role a lot of the year, so I was just trying to work on my game a lot at the beginning.”
But things happen, as they are wont to do in life and the league, and Goran Dragic was injured in January. Then Beno Udrih was lost for the season in February and the rookie found himself running the offense for a team that was in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
There were the expected struggles at the start from a guy tossed into the deep end of the pool, but not from a lack of belief in himself.
“I love Josh’s confidence,” said Heat summer league head coach Juwan Howard. “He’s a competitor. If you want to be a competitor and play at a high level you got to have that edge about you and he has that.”
There were tips about playing the point from Dragic. There were pats on the back and knowing looks from superstar backcourt partner Dwyane Wade.
Before long Richardson was showing all the things that he can do. His 58.9 clip from behind the arc in March was the second-best 3-point shooting for a month in NBA history and earned him the nickname Baby Ray Allen from Shaquille O’Neal. He finished shooting 46 percent on 3s on the season, playing in 52. His dunks made a him a regular staple on the highlight reels and the way he never backed off kept him in the rotation right through Game 7 of the East semifinals when the Heat were eliminated by the Raptors.
“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence playing against the people we played and under so much pressure,” Richardson said. “Out here (in summer league) it kinda feels like pickup a little bit, comparatively speaking.”
His length, athleticism and ability to defend were what made him appealing to the Heat in the first place. But now Richardson has shown enough colors on his offensive palette to go into next season as a potential backup at point guard, shooting guard and even small forward. All of which sent him into the offseason with a definitive plan.
“First off, I just wanted to get more repetitions in practice, in games, any chance I could get to be on the court,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time watching game film and I’ve seen a lot of different situations where I could have made more of a difference by making a certain play.
“I have just really been working on my passing, my ball screens, seeing the open man and, when I drive, getting other people involved. Just working on my handle, trying to get it tighter.
“It’s slowed down a lot for me. I’m seeing things now that would have been a blur to me last year. So it’s getting a little bit easier.”
Richardson knocked down 3-for-4 from long range against the Magic on Tuesday and also was able to get to the line to make 7-for-8 free throws, teaming up with Justise Winslow and Briante Weber in another learning experience for the Heat’s young and talented trio that has made Miami 3-0 and the best team in Orlando. He’s averaging 19.5 points, five assists and shooting 13-for-23 (56.5).
“I don’t know how a lot of guys approach summer league,” he said. “But I just approach it as a lab to work on the things I need.”
Richardson also learned as a rookie by watching the examples set by the veterans Wade and Chris Bosh.
“Just showing me about work ethic,” he said. “Guys like that, superstars, they’re still in the gym. They’ve already made all their money. They don’t have anything to worry about if they wanted to stop playing basketball today and they’re still in the gym every day. It’s just taught me to never take anything for granted and never take a day off.”
Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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