| A Veteran’s Perspective On Staying Positive Authored by Matthew Gordon - November 2, 2009 - 4:19 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
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Reflecting back on his career, Richardson is upbeat, even happy. He certainly isn’t one to speak negatively of a previous employer. “I haven’t been anywhere where there’s been a not so great organization,” he says when asked about how being on the Heat compares to elsewhere. “I still have friends in LA, people on the staff, people who work hard,” he reminisces, and that “one year with Phoenix was good.” His most pronounced statements are about the Knicks: “I loved playing in New York, with teammates like Nate [Robinson] and Eddy [Curry],” he says, and that he “still [has] friends from the team.”
For a player with no complaints about his previous addresses, he couldn’t be happier to be in Miami. Aside from the recurring message that “I’m always optimistic and excited about my current situation”, his mindset is invigorated and focused while just as calm and at ease. “I’m great,” he gushes. “I lost 30 pounds this offseason [down to 226], in a great place, great friends on the team, great organization.” Amidst injuries, trades and impending free agency, it’d be tough to ask for much more.
Although he isn’t predicting a championship in Miami just yet, he has more than enough good things to say about teammate, friend, and 2008/2009 scoring champion, Dwyane Wade. (Who doesn’t?) “We have a MVP player in Wade,” Richardson beams. “Anytime he’s on the court in a game, his team has a chance to win – he’s a player that can be a closer.”
Richardson’s cautious comments about the Heat’s prospects (“we’re young”, he says flat-out) come in light of a very difficult Southeast Division. Heat President Pat Riley’s August remark that Richardson “will be able to match-up well against the top scorers in the league” resonates here, as Richardson will likely have to guard Magic off-guard Vince Carter and Hawks swingman Joe Johnson. If nothing else, Richardson is certainly aware of the challenges that face him as a defender this season.
When questioned on Carter and Johnson, he offers rapid-fire, miniature scouting reports. “Vince is huge on his athleticism, shoots a lot of threes, a lot of jumpers,” Richardson rhymes off like a preschooler reciting the alphabet. “Joe can play point, shoot threes, post up…” then reaffirming that “they’re right up with the best of them – Joe can score with the best of them, showing that in the playoffs.”
Regarding the recent hand check rules that have made life more trying for perimeter defenders, Richardson emphasizes the need to practice defense consistently and to keep playing fundamental basketball. “[It’s] definitely a give and take,” he acknowledges, and that “[the] defensive player takes a slight hit.” The rules aren’t in the players’ control, but diligence is. Richardson is well aware of cheap fouls and of the importance in stopping an opposing player from driving. “[The] defensive player has to improve quickness,” he says. “We practice that a lot, moving with your feet, not with your hands.”
Despite having been involved in blockbusters, salary dumps and everything between, Richardson is candid about what often seems like a tenuous situation. “I’m not the type of person, I don’t read anything,” he said regarding why he might have been traded or why a team might have traded for him. “I just look at it that this is where I’m at, this is where I’m going, regardless of why… [I] have to give my best effort.”
He traces his perspective toward being traded back to his college days at DePaul, where he met Michael Jordan. Richardson credits Jordan’s advice in shaping his outlook toward a league that, while glamorous, can be equally unforgiving. When it came time for the Clippers to select Richardson in the 2000 Draft, his outlook was simple: “I came into the league as a… kid and one of the first things MJ told me was not to worry about the jersey.”
Among the most shocking bits of the constant Richardson-catapulting was the vast talent disparity that opposing general managers exchanged for him this past offseason. In order, he was traded for underachieving center Darko Milicic in June, monster rebounder Zach Randolph in July, a three-player package three days later, and then fellow expiring contract Mark Blount in August.
His response to the peaks and valleys of traded life is short and concise: “I don’t really care.” In a little softer voice, he continues, “I’m not a big ego guy, it’s not going to boost my ego [that] I was traded straight-up for Zach – he’s a great player – or for Darko, who’s less of a player [than Randolph].” His concentration on the challenges that lie ahead is clear.
A little more light-heartedly, he admits, “it wouldn’t matter if I was traded for Michael Jordan.”
Arguably Richardson’s main prerogative this season is to reiterate his value in the league. Understanding the plethora of reasons why a team might seek him or part with him, he is resolute in that “whether I was traded when I was an expiring contract, whether someone wanted me… [I] hope I can change their mind about what they thought about me beforehand.”
On the Heat, Richardson knows that he’s there to complement the team’s young core. Richardson states that he is “not going to average 20 points,” which is “not what my team needs me to be,” but rather to “put us in the best situation to win”. He’s cognizant of his past shooting-percentage woes and of the criticisms he’s faced for them, but he refers back to Wade. “When you play with a guy like D-Wade, you get high-percentage shots,” Richardson explains. “When I get those shots, I have to make them.”
Richardson claims that the anxiously-awaited 2010 free agency bonanza isn’t even registering with him. “I don’t get caught up into contract situations and things like that,” he iterates, brushing off the uncertainty of the coming year. “My job is to go out and play basketball to the best of my abilities,” he follows, returning everything to basketball. His advice for anyone who is a little more concerned? “Don’t be putting pressure on yourself like that.” Considering Richardson’s offseason, and the Heat’s upcoming eight meetings with Orlando and Atlanta, it’s tough to argue with him.
Even with a radical change of scenery and impending free agency hanging over his season, nothing is more prevalent than Richardson’s resilience. “People are going to say whatever they want to say, trades are going to happen,” he admits, “[but] when it’s all said and done, I’m still here. Regardless of whoever has what opinion, ten years later I’m still here.”
Matthew can be reached at matthewpmgordon@gmail.com |
