How About a Little Love for J-Rich?
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 12, 2009 8:47 PM MDT
in Commentary
42 comments
Last year, the Suns acquired Jason Richardson from the Bobcats, along with Jared Dudley for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. At the time, it was thought that Richardson would fill the void Joe Johnson left as a SG with the size to create his own shot and post up defenders. Although most Suns fans were sorry to see Raja leave, the thought of having J-Rich's firepower in the lineup left most of us elated with thoughts that his acquisition would bolster our already potent offensive squad.
Richardson played reasonably well in the 58 games he suited up for the Suns, shooting 48% from the field and averaging 16 points per game. His per game averages for 3-pointers made and steals per game were above league average. But much of what Richardson did on the offensive end was overshadowed by his inability to play lock down defense like his predecessor, Raja Bell. It wasn't a surprise that Richardson often seemed to struggle on the court (many players did between the Porter/Gentry regime change); his game simply wasn't consistent. But consider the fact that he came from a Larry Brown coached team to Phoenix midseason and was forced to learn on the fly. On top of that, his off-the-court issues obviously must have played a role in his on-the-court inconsistencies.
Up until a couple of days ago, this offseason for the Phoenix Suns was marred by some heavy criticism from fans and media alike. Most of the consistent complaints by fans have been aimed at Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver. The Amare Stoudemire trade rumors have also contributed to much anger and cynicism. But the consistent rancor still continues for Jason Richardson. The calls to "dump J-Rich" can usually be categorized as follows:
- He isn't worth the money he is being paid
- He had too much off the court trouble last year
- He can't play defense
- He's got a low basketball IQ
- He was inconsistent last season and not the "superstar" we thought he'd be
- Leandro Barbosa should be starting
There is no doubt that Richardson has tremendous athleticism, but like many players in the league, he has not been able to become a complete player on both ends of the court. While his defense leaves much to be desired, he is a consistent offensive threat, capable of dominating a game from the three point line or by posting up a smaller defender. Yet over the years, he has steadily settled for shots farther away from the hoop. In 2005-2006, Richardson averaged a career high for Golden State with 23.2 PPG. That year he shot 477 three pointers. In 2006-7 Richardson missed 23 games with a broken right hand and only ended up playing 52 games. But in 2007-8 he played in all 82 games and managed to hoist up a career high and league leading 599 3's and made 40% of them. Of course, that was only good for 24th in the league.
Richardson's numbers from 2008/2009 overall with the Suns don't look too bad on paper:
G-58
FG-48%
3PT-38%
FT-77.8%
PPG-16.4
Of course, these numbers don't tell even half the story about Richardson -- the inconsistency from the three point line, the untimely turnovers, the less than adequate defensive effort. But keep in mind the Suns didn't go out and get Richardson thinking he would by an NBA All-Defensive player. They wanted offense, and that was what they got. You may recall a five game stretch where J-Rich simply went off -- this, of course, was during the Suns infamous 6-game winning streak:
Anything pop out at you as you look at these stats?
| DATE | OPP | FGM | FGA | 3PTM | 3PTA | PTS | RB |
| 3/15 | GSW | 11 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 3 |
| 3/18 | PHI | 9 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 7 |
| 3/21 | WAS | 13 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 35 | 7 |
| 3/23 | DEN | 7 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 5 |
| 3/25 | UTH | 9 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 5 |
Only once in those games did Richardson have more than 4 three pointers in a game, and he shot nearly 50% from behind the arc. What's my point? Richardson wasn't simply sitting outside bombing away. One conclusion we can come up with is that Richardson was locked in, doing what he does best: posting up his man, driving to the hoop, running the floor and finishing.
As we all know, Richardson was sentenced to a day in jail which certainly should have an effect on him. What that effect will be is anyone's guess. I don't know much about J-Rich's personality, but I'm hoping he is looking to redeem himself in a big way to the fans as well as his teammates. This team should have a renewed focus and Rich's role should be clear to him. Further, he will have had a full offseason under his belt with his current teammates, which should help. Although I don't forsee J-Rich all of a sudden turning into a lock down defender, I predict a solid year from him that will keep the naysayers quiet. So what do you think?
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Hooray!
Very happy to see I’m not the only one who thinks J-Rich’s presence isn’t the black of hole of suck that it’s being made out to be.
by Mike Lisboa on Jul 12, 2009 9:02 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I dont know..I like Jason Richardson a lot be he has a horrible contract..he limits a lot of flexibility from our team..I would have loved to see him traded to Washington for the two expiring contracts and the 5th..Why we didnt persue that who knows..He can be a good player and will get more touches this yr so we will see what he is made of..Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing him shipped to Dallas for Dampier and Gerald Green..Dampier WILL be an expiring contract(he wont play 28 mins per game) and Gerald Green is super athletic long and can do a lot of the same things Richardson can do..And with that extra cap from Dampier we sign Joe Johnson next yr..we’d be back in business..
or
If we’re just going to"Buy Out" Ben Wallace lets trade Richardson and Wallace for T-Mac..thats 21 million coming off the books…I dont care what anyone says we can be a player in the 2010 free agency amare is good friends with LeBron Dwade and Joe Johnson..With Amare recruiting and us playing well one of them may feel like the missing piece..who wouldn’t want to play with STAT/NASH/BARBOSA/HILL/CLARK we will have a better core to offer than most teams with cap space and we have a good system
by Lebrontophx2010 on Jul 12, 2009 10:36 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Gerald Green?
And to think that today I used him as an example of worthless but freakishly athletic NBA players who I would like too see make this nation a soccer powerhouse. I’m not an incredible fan of J Rich, but he is a decent player, and I really don’t mind him but for his albatross contract. However, I would not like him to be traded for nothing, like Shaq was.
by egp the great on Jul 12, 2009 11:01 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have to disagree with you…I think 12 million a year for a guy in his prime putting in nearly 20 points a game isn’t all that bad. In fact I think it’s pretty good.
I guess my point is let’s see this guy play with a full preseason under his belt and some stability with the coaching situation and see how he does before we look to dump him.
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 12, 2009 10:50 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I thought the great thing about J-Rich
was that he was not trying to pad his stats and make himself into a number 1 or 2 option – instead being a good teammate and playing his role (albeit inconsistently at times). Essentially, he forsook earning his contract (if you look for pure stats) in order to be a better team player. The problem for me however, is how much does he really bring to his new role in being a role player? What is his role? Probably pure scorer – shooting and spacing, athleticism and creating your own shot. Good guard rebounding, reasonable generosity, bad defense. For me that is enough, or at least decent, and I think he could fit in this team reasonably well given a growth as a team. His contract is bad, and if a good deal came along I would trade him, but I am not adverse to letting him gel.
by egp the great on Jul 12, 2009 11:07 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Did not make much sense there...
Basically he is a good role player with a bad contract – keep him and let him and the team come together unless you can find a NICE deal out there for him.
by egp the great on Jul 12, 2009 11:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agree
I don’t have any problems w/ J Rich beyond the amount of $ he costs this team which really is to say that his contract prevents the team from filling other holes.
Great post btw from Wil
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Phoenix Stan on Jul 13, 2009 9:46 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
A bad contract
12 Million for our 3rd option is too much….especially when the 3rd option doesn’t play a lot of defense. He does fit into our style well…but would be a much better fit at $6 – 8 mil.
by Sc413 on Jul 13, 2009 12:05 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
what I think is
J-Rich could be the second option. I know it’s blasphemy to say Nash who is a great shooter is not the second, but he is a pass-first, facilitating type PG. as I remember, when JJ and Marion were here, they bot haveraged more points than steve (and amar’e of course even more) and that was when nash had his second-highest assist average (11.5, and his best is 11.6 so we can safely say his best). so, why not make richardson the second scoring option? he is capable of that, is a good 3-pt shooter, a great slasher and his mid-range J is ok.
Libertarianism is just Anarchy for rich people
by Murcy on Jul 13, 2009 6:19 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t buy into the whole “options” theory. Especially with a team like the Suns who are going to try to outscore every team in the league. We aren’t the Spurs or any other traditional team. Sure we want to get the ball into Amare and see who he can exploit near the basket. So perhaps if you want to consider option 1, perhaps that’s it. But what differentiates J-Rich from the majority of his defenders is his size and shooting ability which potentially opens up mismatches all over the floor. Much like Amare, the defender has to decide how he’s going to defend J-Rich-get in his grill, (to which J can put it on the floor and drive) or back off, (to which J can put up a jumper).
I can understand in a half court set where there are traditional “options,” but if the Suns are rolling on all cylenders, the man who gets the ball is the man who is open-who can run out on the break or set up on the wing for a wide open shot.
Of course we are all operating on theories based on what we saw at the end of last season. None of us know what to expect for 2009/2010.
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 13, 2009 9:17 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Plus-Freakin'-One
They're trying to take my tortillas!
by N-Temp on Jul 13, 2009 1:21 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
definitly a bad contract
given his production. Also he is at a position we are pretty solid at even with him gone.
I would have no problem seeing barbosa and 12 minutes a night of tucker if it meant having 13 million more cap space at the end of this year.
by dontTradeAaronNelson! on Jul 12, 2009 11:29 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Exactly.
It’s not like he didn’t produce for the team and show some good minutes out there on t he floor. People just want somebody to hate on, somebody to make their scapegoat, and J-rich is easily him. Aside from Kerr, the obvious choice top blame for problems with the team, Richardson had gotten a lot of flack from fans. This blogger will show support for Jason. It’s good that he is still with the Suns and very well may shine this next season.
-joshed
www.syko.org
by syko on Jul 13, 2009 12:58 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
When i hear J-rich I now think of.....
his horrid defensive IQ on the last play against the spurs in December. His horrid IQ when he went for a 360 with LBJ right behind him.
Overall hes a good player but he is the worst contract on the team. AKA the Markus Banks.
by dontTradeAaronNelson! on Jul 13, 2009 1:05 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
so
when you hear nash, do you think of floppy parker’s 40-point explosions against him? or when you hear d’antoni is the only thing you think of are his lack of adjustments and bad use of bench? when you hear jordan, do you think about his washington games? come on. don’t pile on. we have him for now, try to embrace him and look at his positives.
Libertarianism is just Anarchy for rich people
by Murcy on Jul 13, 2009 6:23 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
You cannot compare Richardson to Marcus Banks
In no way, shape or form is Richardson even remotely comparable to Marcus Banks, either on the floor, or the contract he makes. Banks did nothing.. Nothing at all for the Phoenix Suns. A few flashes as a decent backup and he earned a “hopeful” contract, that is, since we had nothing else as a backup to Nash, hopeful that his flashes would turn into consistent play. In addition, Richardson’s trade value is greater than zero, thus greater than Marcu Banks.
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 13, 2009 9:23 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Lol, that is funny Jrich wins the “Marcus Banks” award for player who makes a lot of money whose production doesn’t justify it. Previous years winners include Boris Diaw and .. wait for it… Marcus Banks.
+1 about the bad IQ with the Spurs game where he left Roger Mason wide open and the silly 360 dunk that pretty much turned the tide of the game. We needed a solid win not some stupid highlight reel play, Lebron was playing for the win, Jrich just wanted to be on ESPN, well he was, for the wrong reason.
I hope that those things were learning experiences for him, but we’ll see what he can do this year unless Kerr is able to ship him out.
by eagleheart on Jul 13, 2009 1:25 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
i dunno if this is completely ridiculous… but how tall is J-Rich? is there an opportunity to push him to the Pf and have a lineup of; nash,hill,barbs,j-rich and stat playing the 5?? they are by far our best five players. we all know he can dunk like any of the best power forwards in the league and he can hold his own in the rebound stakes too, but would he be too much of a liability up there???
by sad97 on Jul 13, 2009 1:38 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Hill would play PF in that line up. J-rich at SF
by cabezonication on Jul 13, 2009 3:32 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
6"6'
His profile says he’s 6 foot 6 inches. He seems shorter than that to me, though of course he’s got mad hops. He gets about 4-5 boards a game.
by eagleheart on Jul 13, 2009 5:54 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
He has
a HUGE wing span and he can jump and he’s got big hands….all those help his rebounding
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Phoenix Stan on Jul 13, 2009 9:47 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I feel like Nash is wasting Suns’ time and delaying the entire process; I feel like Nash really doesn’t want to sign an extension with Suns and what really wants is to play in NY.
I have an idea. To keep JRich and trade Nash.
Knicks don’t want or don’t like Duhon; they want another point guard. D’Antoni likes Nash and Nash likes NY.
Why not to make a resign & trade Nash x Duhon + Lee?
Nash is about 13,5 m$; Duhon is 6m$ and Lee probably will be around 7,5-8 m$
Probably we need to dump a player; ok that player is Griffin.
by matrix7 on Jul 13, 2009 6:22 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
it seems like
we might be returning to good ole’ SSOL or it’s nearest equivalent… and the pillars of that were pringles and nash, so if that indeed is the plan, we shouldn’t trade him. of course nash wants to be with the knicks: mike d built his system around him and everyone wants to be important especially an athlete (case in point: amar’e)
Libertarianism is just Anarchy for rich people
by Murcy on Jul 13, 2009 6:25 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gentry’s system has more variants. It´s more flexible. The Suns could play almost the same with Duhon instead of Nash.
by matrix7 on Jul 13, 2009 6:49 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Keep him
I think he’ll have a good year for us…spending some time locked up will give him time to reflect. He should come back ready to put his issues behind him and get his game going. And, I like him as a legit scoring threat. Plus, he’ll come in having spent some time with the team already, with Nash and a healthy Stoudamire playing run and shoot basketball. We’ll be able to put up points on any team. Hill will contribute his usual points per game, sometimes more than that. And finally, Barbosa makes our second unit stronger.
Geo
by Galvara1022 on Jul 13, 2009 7:01 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Not a scapegoat, but a Bad Idea
Nash + JRIch = great guard offense (for the other team)
by dCoye on Jul 13, 2009 7:08 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
What I notice
from those game is that they were all game where Amare was out and so was Nash maybe also Barbosa??. (Im not sure about the Nash part for all of them) I remember those games and yeah Rich played great but it was because he was the ONLY option for scoring. (I exaggerate a little) I think we all have lingering doubts about Rich’s ability to be the 3rd option in a system where lots of stuff is happening. Sure, he showed it in those 5 games but what about the other 47? He wasn’t non-existent, but were his 14 points worth the poor defense and seriously bad judgement he made a lot. How many times did he turn the ball over because of purely stupid play? It happened a lot with all of the suns but Rich didn’t make up for it in other areas.
Go read a book!
by N8lol on Jul 13, 2009 8:08 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes, Amare was gone but...
3/14 VS OKC: Suns Starting Lineup-Barnes, Hill, Oneal Richardson, Nash (Barbosa plays 27 mts)
3/15 VS GSW: Suns Starting Lineup-Barnes, Hill, Oneal Richardson, Nash (Barbosa plays 21 mts)
3/18 VS Phila: Suns Starting Lineup-Barnes, Hill, Oneal Richardson, Nash (Barbosa played 2 mts.)
3/21 VS Washington: Suns Starting Lineup-Barnes, Hill, Oneal Richardson, Nash (Barbosa out)
3/23 VS Denver: Suns Starting Lineup-Barnes, Hill, Oneal Richardson, Nash (Barbosa out)
3/25 VS Utah: Suns Starting Lineup- Barnes, Hill, Oneal, Richardson, Nash (Barbosa out)
Were Hill and O’Neal not options for scoring? Sure without Amare that may lead to more touches for Richardson, however there were other options. My point in bringing up those 5 games wasn’t so much to show how great he could be, but how his game improvbes when he wasn’t sitting at the 3 point line bombing away. There were no 1 for 10 from behind the arc games. It is clear the majority of his points came by utilizing his other skills-running the floor, posting up, etc. My overall point is that Rich can be much more consistent when he uses those skills as opposed to settling for shots farther away from the hoop.
Sure, he showed it in those 5 games but what about the other 47? He wasn’t non-existent,
Nonexistent? Really? Were you watching the games? If not check the game logs, he had some other pretty good games. Nonexistent is an awful strong word, (and inaccurate) to describe his play.
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 13, 2009 9:39 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Give the guy some time.
The 1st half of the season that took place last year needs to be taken with a grain of salt. You have a team that did not buy into the coaches vision. The team then had the 2nd half of the season with no Stat and a hurt LB to try and find itself. Now with Shaq gone that is one last person that needs to be fed the ball. I strongly feel that too many people needed touches last season. I expect strong numbers from him this year.
Also remember this. If he had made that 360 dunk he would have been amazing. If James was not the person guarding him and that play was called a foul like it should have been then it would have been no big deal. Breathe in, breathe out. Rub the ears. Woosa..
by Gorilla Game on Jul 13, 2009 9:59 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Very clear description of all sides of the issue that is JRich
JRich is the Joe Johnson replacement player. A few years late, and sadly only a few dollars cheaper.
Noted for fancy crowd-pleasing dunks, creditable for one team loss for showboating, a contract that is now causing us to contemplate moving better players, the player for which we traded Boris for, who we could have used to back up Amare.
But nonetheless, a decent, athletic SG.
Who are these guys again?
by ZonaFlash on Jul 13, 2009 11:27 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Suppose I could have saved time and said that. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 13, 2009 1:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
=D I think you said it much, much better
We can hate the circumstances, but little of it is really JRich’s fault.
Who are these guys again?
by ZonaFlash on Jul 13, 2009 1:12 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Love for J-Rich
Would have to agree that if J-Rich can score like he’s capable, especially by creating his own shots down low, that he can be a force for us. And I think that having a full off season to prep, with more space down low without the Big Shaq-tus should help. I also think he’ll play with a purpose to prove the doubters wrong. Could be the perfect storm of events to help him have a break-out year.
by FunInTheSun on Jul 13, 2009 12:17 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Thank You!
I was getting so tired of all the unnecessary, undeserved, blind-eyed crucifixion this guy was receiving day to day. Oh, and all those trade “scenarios” involving him? Those were becoming a bit of an eye sore too, as some of them were assembled contemptuously, not sensibly. I’m just glad somebody finally decided to inspire some appreciation for our starting 2-guard. He’s a great talent, fun to watch, and I’m happy to have found more than three people (myself included) who think so too.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
by N-Temp on Jul 13, 2009 1:37 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Slowly we will all find the Bright Side of the Sun!
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 13, 2009 3:55 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bright Side of the JaSun
Too easy…
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Phoenix Stan on Jul 14, 2009 1:03 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
You;re a poet and didn’t know it….
by Wil Cantrell on Jul 14, 2009 10:56 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
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