ORLANDO, Fla. — Jase Richardson said Monday that he is eager to help the Orlando Magic in any way asked of him by coach Jamahl Mosley during his upcoming rookie campaign.
Richardson joins a team with heightened expectations, as the Magic are projected to be among the front-runners in the Eastern Conference. In other words: He will have to earn rotation minutes and make a strong impression in training camp, starting on Tuesday.
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With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane leading the way offensively, Richardson will likely play in a complementary role for much of the season. He relishes the opportunity to carve out a role for himself.
“You always want to be on a team that is ready to compete right away,” Richardson said. “We have the team to do that, so for me, in any way I can help shape or form, whether that is on or off the court, I just want to be that person. If that isn’t playing and being a great teammate, I’m ready to do that. If it is a little bit of playing time, I’m ready to do anything. I just want to be a positive impact on this team.”
Last season, first-round pick Tristan da Silva didn’t see meaningful minutes over the first five games, but was elevated into a larger role due to injuries to several key players. Richardson could find himself in a similar situation and play sporadically to begin the season.
For many rookies entering the league, the top priority is to learn as much as possible to help with a smooth transition on the court. The team wants Richardson to be a sponge around his teammates and master his role in the system, Mosley said.
We know each guy has their role and responsibility on this team, but for Jase, a young man who is coming in as a rookie, learn the system first. Understand when you’re playing the point, understand when you’re playing the two. Know who you are on the floor with, when it is time to distribute, when it is time to go make plays and score. He has got an unbelievable basketball IQ. He is fast as heck, so he can push the pace, but he is a willing and wanting learner. He asks all of the right questions. He is under Tyus (Jones) and figuring out what he can do from an 11-year vet, and I think that is going to be great for him this year.
Richardson was a highly-touted guard in the draft who takes care of the ball, shoots well and can defend. He dazzled in the open court and has a great touch in the paint, enabling him to get to his floater or convert difficult finishes at the rim.
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Boasting the key traits that intrigued the Magic, Richardson will look to the veterans on the team, such as Jones, who entered the league in 2015, to learn the ins and outs of the NBA. He wasn’t shy about admitting that he’ll be leaning on Jones often this season.
“When you have somebody who has been doing it for 10-plus years, you want to learn everything that they’re doing,” Richardson said. “You don’t last in this league that long if you are not doing something right. So, just learning from him every day, especially me being a point guard, learning from a guy like that who has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for multiple years. Just learning what he is doing right.”
Though the team hasn’t officially convened for a practice, Richardson has had the opportunity to get on the court with Jones and some of his other teammates this summer. He is already taking advantage of that time, asking questions and gathering vital information ahead of the season.
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Jones remembers the likes of Andre Miller and Ricky Rubio assisting him during his rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He believes they helped prepare him well for the rigors of the NBA and is looking to assist Richardson the same way this year.
“I’m just going to try to share everything with him,” Jones said. “The NBA is so different than the college game, and you know that going into it, but there are still things you have to figure out, and as a vet, you want to try to help that learning curve just speed up. (I’m) just trying to be as vocal with him as possible, trying to share as much knowledge with him that I can. He is receptive of it. He is asking questions. He is eager to learn, and those are the types of rookies you want to have.”
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Magic news: Jase Richardson eager to learn from Tyus Jones, others