Jase Richardson is going to be sorely missed this season in East Lansing. The son of Jason Richardson and recent Spartan one-and-done under Tom Izzo has made his NBA preseason debut with the Orlando Magic, and he didn’t disappoint.
In his first preseason game, he led the Magic in scoring and played a team-high 24 minutes, proving that he can hang at the highest level despite some scouting doubts in the draft process.
Now three games into his NBA (preseason) career, Richardson is continuing to show that he belongs in the league and is one of the brightest young stars the game has to offer. There are already rumblings of “rookie of the year” surrounding the Izzo product.
And if you look at his numbers, it’s easy to see why.
The rookie guard is averaging just under 12 points to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He’s shooting just under 50 percent from the floor (12-for-26), but his 3-point shooting numbers are straight-up gaudy. He’s making 70 (!!) percent of his threes through three games.
OK, so he’s only taken 10 shots from deep, but he’s been more than effective, making under 50 percent just one time over three games, and that was a solid 2-for-5 performance.
Richardson is making the most of his opportunities during preseason action, and while I doubt he plays 20-plus minutes per game early on in the regular season, I do think he has the ability to be a sixth man who can score in bunches and give Orlando a spark off the bench.
Continuing to shoot over 50 percent from three will definitely earn him more minutes — 70 percent is just ridiculous.