Jase Richardson faced a lot of questions after the Orlando Magic made him the 25th pick in last year's Draft.
The biggest question was his height. Richardson measured at the Combine at 6-foot-0.5 inches without shoes with a 6-foot-6 wingspan. He is listed at just 6-foot-1.
That was something Richardson knew he would need to overcome. He makes up for it with his basketball IQ and his ability to find space. His athleticism -- good enough to participate in the Dunk Contest -- helps make up for it too.
But the bigger question for Richardson's playing coming out of Michigan State had a lot to do with his skill. His height would put him into the box of playing a point guard. That is inevitable.
At Michigan State, he was not the Spartans' point guard, though. He played next to veteran guard Jeremy Fears. Fears was the one who ran the show. Richardson was a scoring guard whose play and scoring demanded he play more and more.
Richardson's ability to stick in the NBA would depend on how he develops the skills he did not use in his lone year in college. He needs to become a better decision-maker and point guard.
Even in limited minutes with the Orlando Magic in his rookie year, Richardson showed he could get to his spots and score with the ball in his hands. He was a decent enough shooter.
As he prepares for Summer League, the directive could not be clearer. Richardson needs to prove he can manage and run the team as a point guard.
"I think it's a huge emphasis," Jase Richardson said at the Magic's practice in Las Vegas on Wednesday. "From day one, that's kind of what they have been telling us to be as vocal as possible. For me, being a point guard and being a guy that has been here before, I want to try to communicate with these guys. Just trying to be as vocal as I can."
Richardson will be running the show for the Summer League Magic. All eyes will be on him as the Magic demand leadership from their second-year player.
Success in Summer League will not merely be measured in Richardson's counting stats and scoring. Things the Magic know he can do. It will be measured in how he runs and conducts the team.
This Summer League is about Jase Richardson the point guard.
Hidden opportunities
Orlando Magic fans have not seen a lot of Jase Richardson so far in his career.
He appeared in only 54 games last year, averaging 10.9 minutes per game. He averaged 4.4 points per game and shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from three.
Richardson played at least 12 minutes in just 21 games last year, averaging 7.6 points and 1.9 assists per game. He shot 45.9 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from three.
This is still a small sample. But it was at least some proof of concept he could score. Richardson played only nine games of 20 or more minutes and scored at least 10 points in seven of those nine games.
There is little doubt that Richardson can find pockets to score when given playing time.
But his fight for playing time is about his ability to defend and make his presence bigger. It is about how he can put his fingerprints on more parts of the game aside from his scoring.
Richardson said after practice Monday in Orlando that there has been more emphasis on his defense and defensive positioning. His goal this Summer League is to be a pest defensively. His experience should help him be better prepared to take on those challenges.
Richardson said he spent a lot of his offseason so far working on his body and he said he feels stronger.
All of that will help. But what matters most is his responsibility in running the team. That is his ticket to playing time.
Taking the reins
This is a bit of what Summer League is for. It is for letting a player explore the canvas a bit and see where his game can expand. It is about experimenting.
It is fair to predict Richardson will get his points. Last year at Summer League, he averaged 16.5 points per game in his two appearances, shooting 10 for 18 from the floor and 3 for 6 from three. He looked comfortable as a scorer in his limited minutes as a rookie.
What the Magic want to see is for him to take the reins and be the leader and point guard who can guide and direct the team. That is what they will need for a successful Summer League.
"He's an extension of me on the court," Magic Summer League coach D.J. Bakker said after practice Wednesday. "He's got great IQ, great confidence. He knows his teammates well. He does a great job putting players in different spots. He knows where their strengths are and gets them playing to that. I like how he carries himself. I love his communication. He's got great IQ and great feel for the game. I'm excited to go through these games with him."
The Magic want to see him pushed to the front too. They want to see him grow as a leader and game manager.
The point guard position has been a dire need for the Magic for several years. The team has tried to shoehorn several ball handlers into the role. Richardson would be the latest attempt to do so.
But the Magic want players who can create for each other. And with Richardson's height, being a point guard and game director is vital.
This Summer League gives him that experience. And if he grows those skills, he might carve a role in the Magic's rotation.
"I think just trying to build as much chemistry as I can with these guys," Richardson said after practice Wednesday. "Talk to them off the court, hang out with them off the court. Get to know everybody. Get to know what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a point guard, you've got to know who to get the ball to and where to get guys in certain spots. Learning that every day."
This is Richardson's audition to some extent. This is his chance to show he can do and be a whole lot more.
Richardson knows his ticket to playing time starts with his playmaking and leadership as a point guard. That is what he has to prove in these games in Las Vegas.
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