The Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t give up on Josh Richardson.
The 2019-20 season was equal parts infuriating and forgettable for the Philadelphia 76ers, who fell flat on every front. Players underperformed, coaches underperformed, and by golly, the front office out-underperformed them all. And yet, not everything was a complete dumpster fire.
Such an arduous season has fans rightfully calling for change. And changes should be made, on every front. A new coach should install a revamped system of accountability in the locker room. Changes to the front office should create a more well-defined power structure. And changes to the roster, however difficult they may be, should improve the Sixers’ dwindling title odds.
With that said, change for the sake of change is never good. The Sixers should avoid making flippant changes. A lot of discourse lately has revolved around the idea of trading Josh Richardson. While I’m not opposed to the idea — Richardson is far from unmovable — he’s not someone the Sixers should trade for the sake of trading. He can contribute to a championship contender.
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Richardson’s 2019-20 season was very much a square-peg-in-round-hole conundrum. He was asked to fill a role that exceeded his strengths as a player, and to no fault his own. Poor roster construction meant the Sixers needed more from Richardson than he was able to provide. In a more structured role, however, Richardson has all the tools to raise the Sixers’ floor and ceiling.
At 6-foot-6, Richardson is one of the most underrated defensive wings in basketball. He did a tremendous job in the Sixers’ first-round series against Boston, filling the void left by Ben Simmons as best he could. He was Philadelphia’s only real answer to Jayson Tatum, and he spent successful stretches on Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown as well.
Richardson would have thrived on the Grit n’ Grind-era Grizzlies. He has that kind of disposition. He’s a no-nonsense, take-everything-personally kind of player, and that attitude is something the Sixers need more of. Richardson openly called out Brett Brown for Philadelphia’s lack of accountability in the locker room, and he became one of the Sixers’ most vocal leaders late in the season.
That grittiness, both in the locker room and on defense, can and will benefit the Sixers moving forward. Richardson does not fit seamlessly into the 3-and-D label, but he can certainly impact the game in both areas. And his defense is especially impactful.
On offense, the Sixers need to find a more suitable role for Richardson. The addition for another guard — CP3, Jrue Holiday, or even a more minor addition, such as Dennis Schroder — would take a great playmaking burden off Richardson’s shoulders. He is not a point guard, no matter how hard Philadelphia tried to make him one last season.
Richardson has his flaws. The possessions where he dribbles lackadaisically into a contested jumper and you find yourself questioning the purpose of human existence — well, those will not disappear. But in a more structured role, where the Sixers can play to his strengths as a slasher and spot-up shooter, Richardson will do more good than bad.
For all the talk about Philadelphia’s lack of shooting, Richardson is a mostly good shooter. He has that bad habit of jettisoning open 3s in favor of pull-up 2s, but he can hit big shots from deep. That is also a breakable habit, plus his in-between game is often a buoy the Sixers desperately need, not a reprehensible sidetrack.
If the Sixers can successfully position Richardson as a slashing, cutting two-guard who isn’t thrust haphazardly into a playmaking role, he will improve drastically next season. There’s a reason his reputation was what it was coming out of Miami.
Also, it’s important to note Richardson’s deluge of injuries last season. He was dragged down by multiple nicks and bruises all year, the most impactful being his midseason hamstring malady. A healthy Richardson probably experiences more peaks and fewer valleys.
Richardson is a dynamic and talented two-way wing when he’s playing a role tailored to his skill set. If the Sixers can make adjustments elsewhere in the rotation, the aim should be to keep Richardson — not trade him. He’s on a steal of a contract, and could feasibly be re-signed to an affordable long-term deal next season.
There is a chance Philadelphia has to part ways with Richardson to facilitate large-scale change, and in that case, what must be done must be done. But if the Sixers can shed Horford/Harris and make changes on the margins without shedding Richardson, that should be the goal.