In less than 10 days, the Miami Heat will start a new era with a budding young group.
Unfortunately, it looks like that group won’t be including sophomore Josh Richardson.
According to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has indicated that the guard probably won’t be ready to start the season.
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Court work today for Josh Richardson but Spoelstra indicated won't be ready for season opener.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 17, 2016
Richardson, 23, partially tore the MCL in his right knee during an offseason workout on Sept. 9. There was some optimism that the talented youngster would be ready by next Wednesday’s season opener against the Orlando Magic, but that theory appears to be over after Spoelstra’s comments on Monday.
In his rookie campaign with the Heat, Richardson averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 52 regular season games. The 40th pick in the 2015 draft has played a strong role on the team, earning consistent minutes and being the first guard off the bench in last year’s playoffs.
With several key players from last year’s roster no longer on the team, Richardson is expected to pick up more minutes and responsibilities. Although he most likely won’t be available to start the season, expect to see him play a lot over the course of the upcoming season.
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