The Sixers brought in veterans Trey Burke and Raul Neto to compete for the backup point guard role. Brett Brown has made sure to note that second-year guard Shake Milton is also in the mix.
How's the saying go? Plans are worthless, but planning is everything?
Yeah, that applies here.
Elton Brand did well to fortify the backup point guard position this summer, but Josh Richardson should ultimately back up Ben Simmons this season.
They certainly haven't performed poorly, but Burke, Neto and Milton haven't stood out through three preseason games. Brown has been hesitant to go there, saying that he wants the competition for the role to play out, but on Sunday night in Orlando, he unfurled a rotation featuring Richardson as the primary ball handler with the second unit.
And Richardson produced, recording five assists to just one turnover and was a team-high plus-23 in 26 minutes. It's a role he's familiar with, having done it a decent amount last season in Miami and his senior season at Tennessee.
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"My main focus this season is trying to keep my mindset aggressive on both ends of the floor and do whatever I need to give us the best chance to win," Richardson said to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Serena Winters, "and yes, I'm fine with leading that second unit and keeping guys organized, keeping that aggression high."
During the 2018-19 season, he posted his highest usage rate (20.9), PER (14.0), assist percentage (17.9) and his lowest turnover percentage (9.1). He's an ascending player who's become more comfortable initiating offense at the NBA level.
Richardson was acquired in the sign-and-trade with the Heat for Jimmy Butler and he'll also take JJ Redick's spot in the starting lineup. He's not trying to be either player - "I'm not coming in here trying to be Jimmy Redick," Richardson joked after the Blue x White Scrimmage - but he will fill a lot of their duties.
Richardson was used in dribble handoffs often in Miami and finished 10th in the NBA in points per possession on DHOs. That had been a staple of the Sixers' offense with Joel Embiid and Redick. The two-man game with that duo was lethal. While Richardson won't offer the same level of shooting, he's not a slouch in that department - he's shot 38.9 percent from three in three preseason games. He also adds a more dynamic element with his athleticism and passing ability.
"It's different, but Josh brings something different," Embiid said after the first day of training camp. "Obviously JJ with the crazy shots and off-balance threes and all that stuff, but we've got Josh, who's more athletic than JJ, especially when it comes to back cutting, throwing lobs and him just turning the corner and attacking the defender. I think in that sense, he can do that better than JJ."
And while he may not be trying to replicate what Butler did during his short time in Philadelphia, Richardson can fill a similar role. When Simmons struggled, Butler took over as the team's primary ball handler. Butler excelled - and obviously enjoyed - being the ball handler in pick-and-rolls. Again, it's another aspect of the game offensively Richardson shined in with the Heat.
Brown's rotation has remained similar in his time where he generally never goes to an entire second unit. For the most part, Brown likes to have two starters on the floor at all times. Judging by this preseason, you shouldn't expect that to change. Given that, it appears Richardson's minutes will always coincide with Embiid's.
All of this and we haven't even mentioned Richardson's defensive role and prowess. He'll be tasked with guarding opposing ones with the starting unit this season. Quicker guards like Kemba Walker and Spencer Dinwiddie gave the Sixers fits last season. It'll be Richardson's job to remedy that - one he has an excellent chance of fulfilling thanks to his length and athleticism. At 6-foot-5, it's also quite an advantage for Richardson to be the shortest player on the floor for the Sixers.
Add it all up and Richardson seems like an indispensable part of the Sixers' immensely talented starting five.
"I think Josh is almost kind of the secret - as important as any mortar," Brown said at his annual luncheon before camp began. "He just holds us together. He really has a chance to hold us together."
It wasn't necessarily the plan for Josh Richardson to be the Sixers' backup point guard, but here we are.
And it's just another example of the critical role(s) he'll play this season.
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