When asked earlier this season why the Heat and Spurs remain successful, Brett Brown simply said, “Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich.” It’s hard to argue that.
Miami developed Josh Richardson, a second-round pick out of Tennessee, and turned him into the player he is today. The type of player that’s not afraid to call out his team’s lack of accountability or reportedly call a players-only meeting.
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With the trade deadline in the rearview, the reality that the Sixers have underperformed reemerges. GM Elton Brand did well to get a pair of wings that should be an easy fit into Brett Brown’s rotation, but that deal won’t matter if they don’t get more from the guys already here.
One of those players is the newcomer Richardson. Richardson’s first season as a Sixer has been beset by injury, but the 26-year-old’s value to the team has been evident.
Brown has referred to Richardson as the “mortar” of the starting five — a player that can tie things together because of his skillset. He’s unlike any other player in the Sixers’ starting five. His ability to make plays off the dribble and initiate the offense in the halfcourt have helped aid the team’s clunky offense.
Maybe Brown didn’t realize it when he said it, but Richardson may be the “mortar” off the court as well.
News
The Sixers are in disarray. They need people to step up and lead.
Why not Josh Richardson?
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