Philadelphia 76ers: 3 positives to Seth Curry trade

2. Ball won’t stick

The Sixers will miss Richardson, who was better offensively than he got credit for. He was also a borderline elite defender, and one of the very few bright spots in Philadelphia’s first-round loss to Boston. He’s a better player — period — than his brief time as a Sixer would suggest.

Things went south for Richardson, in part, due to injuries. They also went south because of fit. The Sixers needed Richardson to do more as a ball-handler and facilitator than he was capable of doing. While Richardson is a competent slasher and spot-up threat, he’s not a point guard. Too often, Philadelphia needed him to be a point guard.

The Sixers don’t entirely solve this problem with Curry, who is by no stretch a prolific facilitator. Curry offsets that with his shooting. He also offsets that with his decision-making. The ball won’t stick with Curry, who’s quick to move the ball and quick to move without it.

Richardson was a molasses-like decision maker. He was hesitant as a shooter, which Curry won’t be. He was prone to aimless drives to nowhere and contested mid-range jumpers early in the shot clock. Curry won’t be. The Sixers’ offense will run smoother, even if the need for a reliable shot-creator in the halfcourt still exists.