When the Philadelphia 76ers were scuffling after another road loss to the Miami Heat on February 3, Josh Richardson was fed up. He was out at the time nursing a left hamstring strain, but he did not like what he was seeing on the floor.
“We sat down, we talked some stuff out, and I think it was good for us to get those things out there,” said Richardson after returning from a left hamstring strain
He led a players-only meeting to allow everybody to sit down and talk about their differences and understand how things are going to work. Since then, the team is 3-1 which includes a big 110-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
That’s not easy to do for a guy who has only been with the team for a mere 40 games or so. The fact that he is continuing to grow in that area for this team is impressive more than anything.
Richardson then had 17 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 21 for the game, and his presence is big for this team out there. It was his third game back after returning from the injury and his presence on the mind of coach Brett Brown who is very appreciative of what he brings to the floor.
“He’s always been there,” said Brown. “It’s the same old story that we talk about; you really don’t know what have until you don’t have it. So we didn’t have him for a period of time, not like two games. You feel the sting of not having that type of player.”
Richardson not only made big plays on the offensive end, but he was also big defensively he did a stellar job against Clippers star Paul George making life miserable for him. That drew the praise of veteran teammate Al Horford.
“He’s a big part of what we do,” Horford explained. “Especially on the defensive end, him being able to guard perimeter guys, he did a great job on Paul George tonight. It goes to show how much he brings to us.”
While sitting on the sideline for six games due to the hamstring injury, Richardson was not worried about what they were missing with him basketball-wise, it was all about being vocal for him.
“We’ve got a great team top to bottom so it’s not like I was worried about what they’re missing without me,” he explained. “I was really just trying to be a vocal presence on the bench for the guys. We got some young guys that were playing and just try to keep them in positive spirits because it’s not easy.”
That’s what a leader does. A leader makes sure he’s in the ear of his teammates and making sure they’re all set and have what they need to succeed. While Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are the two best players on this team and they are continuing to grow as well, Richardson gives this team a needed boost in the leadership department. [lawrence-related id=25621,25608,25600]