Winslow-Richardson combo could be Miami Heat’s future
Josh Richardson #0 goes for the lay up with Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat during a preseason game Oct. 13, 2015 at Amway Center. (Getty Images)
Everyone expects Justise Winslow to be a mainstay in Miami for years, and Josh Richardson looks equally promising at this point. The future of
the Heat appears to be forming between those two during this preseason.
They got their most extended run in
Tuesday’s 95-92 loss at Orlando and looked strong on both sides of the ball. Richardson led Miami with 18 points in 38 minutes, and Winslow gave the Heat 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in 35 minutes.
Even more encouraging for the team was how well they meshed together.
“I think we’ve got good chemistry,” Richardson said. “I know he likes to get the ball down on the block and get post-ups, and he knows I like kick-out 3s. We both like to run the court a lot, so we can play off each other there. I think over the years we can do some great things.”
They arrived with the Heat under vastly different circumstances.
Winslow, whose dad was an NBA player, went to Duke as a highly touted recruit and asserted himself as one of the best college players in the country while helping the Blue Devils win a national title. He improbably slipped to Miami at No. 10 after many projections had him going in the top six picks.
Richardson, a four-year player from Tennessee, appears to have been an afterthought to most teams. The Heat were stunned to get him at 40th overall given that
they sized him up as the 24th-best player in the draft.
“He’s a very competitive two-way player and you just don’t see those types of guys that often that really want to take on the challenge defensively,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’ll guard multiple positions and stick his nose in their for loose balls. And offensively, he’s got nice poise.”
Winslow and Richardson have been working out together since shortly after draft day. They went through a weeklong training camp with assistant coach Dan Craig in July and played together throughout summer league in Orlando and Las Vegas, not to mention informal workouts at the arena after that.
“He’s great,” Winslow said of Richardson. “He’s an athletic, versatile scorer and he’s a hassle when he’s on defense. Really gets after it. Me and him have been great, getting here after we got drafted and working out in the preseason trying to get better. It’s been great to have him by my side.”
At this point, Winslow seems to have his role secured as a small forward on Miami’s second unit. He also will see time at shooting guard and possibly power forward.
Richardson, meanwhile, sees veterans clearly ahead of him as the Heat solidify their main playing rotation. He is undeterred by where he stands on the depth chart.
“I’m a different kind of person,” he said. “I’m real laidback about everything. It’s gonna go how it’s gonna go. But I realize every day is an audition in the NBA. At any time you can be shipped off, so you’ve gotta take every day as serious as possible.”
