The odds continue to stack up against a postseason berth for the Miami Heat, as starting guard Josh Richardson could miss up to two weeks with a groin injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Sources: MRI on Miami guard Josh Richardson’s groin reveals no damage, but he could miss two weeks — which is an obvious blow to Heat’s chances of securing a playoff spot in final days of season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 4, 2019
Richardson suffered the injury in the third quarter of the team’s 112-102 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday; despite the MRI revealing no damage, it looks as if Richardson’s season could be finished if Miami fails to secure a playoff spot without him.
Veteran guard and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade emphasized his concern for his up-and-coming young teammate following the contest, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald:
“I was obviously concerned when he left the game. At first you just thought maybe he got hit the wrong way. But the way he left the game, you knew it wasn’t. So we’re definitely concerned about him. This time of the year is a bad time for injuries, but hopefully he’s fine.”
Josh Richardson has arguably been Miami’s top contributor throughout the season, leading the team in scoring and providing tenacious defense on the perimeter as well. Prior to the injury, Richardson was second on the team in games played this season, just behind stretch big man Kelly Olynyk. Moreover, he has started in all 73 of the games he’s appeared in during his career year, a positive for a team that has experienced its fair share of injuries this season – most notably a lingering knee injury to starting point guard Goran Dragic.
In his fourth season in the Association, the University of Tennessee product has put up averages of 16.6 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting over 35 percent from beyond the three-point line.
