Boston Celtics: What the Cs can expect from Josh Richardson

The good and bad of Josh Richardson’s defense

Unlike his offense, there are more pros than cons when it comes to Richardson’s defense.

Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics likely brought him in because they knew they could get good production out of him on that side of the ball while figuring everything else out offensively. To get someone of Richardson’s caliber defensively for the price of Moses Brown and a TPE is a steal and a move no Cs fan should be displeased with.

However, J-Rich is no Marcus Smart.

Before I get into what he does well, let me clarify what the expectations should be.

Richardson will provide ancillary on-ball defense — he will not be locking down Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler on a nightly basis. Richardson will not be one of the rare defensive anchors at the wing position like Robert Covington.

It is essential to know that Richardson will be tasked with maintaining the defensive standing for the Boston Celtics. He will not be responsible for solely sustaining it, especially considering he may be coming off the bench this year.

Moving onto what J-Rich can do for the Boston Celtics, it’s quite an impressive list.

Richardson holds a physical advantage over most guards, standing at 6-5, 200 pounds with a 6-10 wingspan and daunting recovery speed.

He made his money working back into plays, coming from behind and blocking potential layups or stripping indecisive ball handlers. His ability to dig on post-ups was well documented, willingly and aggressively helping to force the post-up player into a turnover.

These tendencies combined with his physical gifts make him a clear positive on the defensive end and a contributor off the bench the Celtics have greatly missed since Marcus Smart was inserted into the starting rotation.

The cons of Richardson’s defense are his lackluster foot speed, poor anticipation skills, and average screen navigation.

If Richardson is paired up with a faster guard, chances are he’s going to get blown by every time, and the same goes if he’s matched up with a screen-heavy guard like Trae Young or Damian Lillard.