Boston Celtics: 3 overseas players Cs should consider signing
By Ian Riaf
Boston Celtics overseas target No. 2) Malachi Richardson
Malachi Richardson, another former Sacramento Kings first-round pick and only a year removed from the NBA, is most remembered for his captivating 2016 NCAA tournament run to lead Syracuse to the Final Four with several clutch performances.
At only 24-years-old, the versatile Syracuse sharpshooter could not find his range at the NBA level and, thus, instead found himself spending his 2019-20 season on the road with Hapoel Holon in Israel, Cremona in Italy, and even on Boeheim’s Army during The Basketball Tournament.
Richardson struggled to find minutes in a crowded Sacramento backcourt, a rotation where he played behind Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and a series of other more experienced shooters.
The shifty swingman found his way to Toronto but similarly failed to crack the rotation and never appeared in a playoff game.
Overseas, Richardson rediscovered his range, shooting an impressive 43.9% on attempts from beyond the arc. After a fractured hand injury, Richardson was subsequently released and returned to the states.
While Richardson may not possess the same floor-spacing ability as Stauskas, he has experience knocking down the longball at an impressive rate. Ranked in the 94th percentile in three-point shooting last season, Richardson is undoubtedly a very polished offensive threat. He differs from Stauskas in his ability to shoot off the dribble and create shots for himself.
The wing also ranked in the 86th percentile on drives, and the 89th percentile on isolation plays during his 2019-20 stint season.
While Marcus Smart and Brad Wanamaker operated as the primary bench ball handlers and creators, the bench wings for the Boston Celtics were fairly limited in the shot creation department.
While the team raves about Romeo Langford defensively, this team needs more offensive firepower at the wing. Richardson’s ball-handling skills would add a secondary or even tertiary scoring option. With a 7-0 wingspan and high basketball IQ, Richardson could give the Boston Celtics a legitimate scoring option at the two-guard.