As the Miami Heat\u2019s bench rotation continues to evolve early this season, so has veteran guard Josh Richardson\u2019s role. After missing the second half of last season following right shoulder surgery, Richardson made the decision this past summer to pick up the $3.1 million player option in his contract to stay with the Heat instead of entering free agency. But at the start of the second season of Richardson\u2019s second stint with the Heat, he\u2019s still searching for his place on this season\u2019s roster after recently falling out of the rotation.<\/p>\n
Entering Sunday\u2019s matchup against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena, Richardson has received four straight DNP-CDs (did not play, coach\u2019s decision) despite being available and in uniform. Richardson, 31, also won\u2019t play on Sunday against the Raptors because he\u2019s sick and did not travel with the team to Toronto.<\/p>\n
He also missed time earlier this season with a calf strain and pain in his left heel. \u201cIt\u2019s been hard,\u201d Richardson said of his turbulent start to the season, with the Heat set to complete its quick two-game trip on Monday against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back set (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun). \u201cFrustrating, but it is what it is. I\u2019m just trying to stack days. My shoulder got healthy, trying to get up to speed and get ready and then feet things start popping up. So I\u2019m just trying to get everything in my body on the same page.\u201d The injuries have made it hard for Richardson to find a rhythm, as he\u2019s averaging four points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal per game while shooting just 28.9 percent from the field and 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from three-point range in his eight appearances (all off the bench) this regular season.<\/p>\n
The Heat has been outscored by 10.6 points per 100 possessions with Richardson on the court this season, which is the worst individual net rating among Heat players. That underwhelming production and those injury issues have led to others, like 2024 second-round pick Pelle Larsson, moving ahead of Richardson on the Heat\u2019s depth chart. \u201cIt changes daily, honestly. It\u2019s hard to know,\u201d Richardson said when asked about his role with the Heat this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far I\u2019ve been playing as a ball handler, defender, getting us into offense and trying to pick up the best player. Going forward, you never know. It might be a day that I got to ball handle, it might be a day that I got to catch and shoot, it might be a day that it\u2019s just defense. So it kind of changes.\u201d Before the illness that kept Richardson from traveling with the team to Toronto for Sunday\u2019s game, he was dealing with lingering heel pain that forced him to miss practice earlier this month. That heel injury also forced him to miss some time last season. \u201cI missed some time last year for it, I missed some time earlier this year for it,\u201d said Richardson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just kind of one of those things, I think, that kind of got worse sitting down for seven months not working and not being able to lift weights. When your body starts moving full NBA speed again, it\u2019s hard to re-acclimate. So hopefully it resolves, but it\u2019s just one of those lingering things.\u201d Richardson was cleared for full-contact basketball work in October right before the start of this season after spending months rehabbing from March surgery on his right shoulder.<\/p>\n
The road back wasn\u2019t easy and the road back to his usual form on the court hasn\u2019t been easy either. But whenever playing time does come Richardson\u2019s way again, he just wants to make the most of it. As Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has emphasized early this season, \u201cthe games will dictate everything with the rotation.\u201d \u201cJust got to try to attack it,\u201d Richardson said of his situation. \u201cDon\u2019t shy away from it. When it\u2019s my chance to go out there, I\u2019m going to try to take advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
WHAT NEXT?<\/p>\n
With the Heat eliminated from the NBA Cup, it awaits the announcement of the missing two games on its standard 82-game schedule. As one of the 22 teams that won\u2019t advance to the quarterfinals, the Heat will play two regular-season games (one home game and one road game) on Dec. 12 or Dec. 13 and Dec. 15 or Dec. 16 to fill the missing two games in its 82-game schedule. The announcement of those two games are expected to come late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The group stage of the in-season tournament ends Tuesday. \u201cI know we all would have liked to have been in Vegas,\u201d Spoelstra said, referring to the semifinal games and championship game of the tournament that will be played in Las Vegas. \u201cThat\u2019s not the case, but it sparks something more. When you have something to play for, I think it\u2019s always good. I think it will just continue to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
INJURY REPORT<\/p>\n
Along with missing Richardson, the Heat is without Josh Christopher (G League), Keshad Johnson (G League), Nikola Jovic (sprained left ankle) and Kel\u2019el Ware (right foot tendinitis) for Sunday\u2019s game against the Raptors. Like Richardson, Jovic didn\u2019t travel with the team to Toronto after spraining his ankle during a workout Saturday morning. As for Ware, he was a late scratch after being added to the Heat\u2019s injury report just a few hours before tipoff on Sunday. The Raptors ruled out Bruce Brown (return to competition reconditioning), Gradey Dick (left calf contusion), Kelly Olynyk (back strain) and Immanuel Quickley (partial UCL tear in left elbow).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the Miami Heat\u2019s bench rotation continues to evolve early this season, so has veteran guard Josh Richardson\u2019s role. After missing the second half of last season… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n