Jase Richardson

Jase is an all around talented player, but one where the tape leaves you wondering exactly where he stands out and how high his ceiling is.

Offense

Jase Richardson projects as a savvy off-ball scorer with a smooth stroke and a polished feel for finding space.

He’s a compact, fluid shooter who relocates well, instinctively drifts to the three-point line, and has the ability to quickly get into his shot off the catch. He moves with purpose off the ball and is always relocating, cutting, and sprinting into open space to give drivers clean passing angles or to free himself for jumpers. HE’s very good at moving without the ball and getting set quickly and shooting well. A bit of a movement shooter in this regard, but certainly wouldn’t be confused with some past prospects like Grady Dick or Jordan Hawkins. He may wind up a better overall player, but the way they flew off multiple actions and caught and fired while still moving was on a different level.

Richardson is always moving without the ball, he’s like a shark who thinks he is going to die if he every stops. He does a really nice job even when guarded and without a screen setting defenders up by starting to run one direction and then cutting back the other, creating enough space to catch a pass and get off a clean shot.

When he does get his shot off, he is a really sweet shooter, instinctively moves to the three point line and if in-rhythm is an extremely strong shooter with a nice, compact stroke and great accuracy.

Richardson’s handle is one of his bigger limitations. While he flashes the occasional behind-the-back or crossover, he doesn’t create much separation off the dribble, and his inability to threaten either direction (he strongly prefers going left) limits his effectiveness against set defenses. His right hand is particularly shaky, both as a ball handler and as a finisher. He has trouble creating much separation with the ball even against college competition, which leads to some poor shots or fadeaways.

One strong quality for Jase, is he is capable of stopping on a dime and getting into his shot with balance. This can be a great NBA skill, helping players to get clean midrange looks and then allowing them to get to the hole easier when defenses have to adapt and guard the free throw line jumper. However, he isn’t always moving fast enough and isn’t shifty or evasive enough with his moves to create the separation necessary to leverage that ability. Could be better utilized in the future if he can improve his handles and elusiveness, otherwise, it will be more of a situational tool for when he has as straight line drive or the defense is off balance.  He also has a developing step-back jumper, but it’s slow and not yet reliable. Improvements to his handle and footwork could allow it to become more impactful in the future.

When Richardson does get inside, he’s limited by the fact that he’s not a great athlete. He’s an under the rim player who struggles even more with his elevation in traffic and doesn’t have great hangtime. He has some fluidity, but not enough to compensate for other issues. However, he does have a very broad build and good functional strength, so when he can keep a player on his hip, he can keep them at bay while creating a good angle.

Jase isn’t much of a rebounder.  Virtually all of his rebounds are uncontested and long boards.  He is fundamentally sound and willing to box out and put a body on someone and he does hustle when he sees a loose ball.  He just doesn’t have the length or explosiveness to get anything in traffic or among the trees.

Richardson is a solid passer with good vision and accuracy; however, most of his passes are pretty basic including swings, pushing the ball up court, and entry passes to the post. He flashes more ability; however, his issues creating separation and commanding double teams also limits his ability to use these potential skills. And his lack of hangtime and size does limit his ability to jump and then hit an open man if the defense collapses.  He also doesn’t necessarily “sense” or anticipate the double teams, but if he sees one, he is good about understanding where his open teammate is and getting him the ball. Jase shows some anticipatory passing with quick swings or making a move to set up a pass, such as some of his drives along the baseline, while then hitting a cutter or big he seems to anticipate. Overall, passing should be good enough to use within an NBA system, but without better creation, it’s hard to see it having a lot of gravity or changing how the defense plays him,

His turnovers are low, mostly because he plays within himself and rarely forces the issue. The majority of his miscues come from shaky ball-handling as opponents poke the ball out in traffic or strip him. While his low-risk playstyle helps him stay efficient, there are concerns about whether his production and decision-making would scale up if he needed to play a larger offensive role. Without better separation or a more advanced handle, he’s more likely to be a connector than a creator.

Defense

Richardson is a solid team defender who compensates for physical limitations with effort, strength, and smarts. He takes good angles, stays active, and uses his long arms to get deflections and blocks. While he’s not especially quick or laterally explosive, he rarely wastes steps and plays with discipline. He’s a very efficient player which allows him to be more effective than his speed would suggest.

Jase has good, but not great lateral speed and at times, players can beat him with a quick move. But he get into a stance, takes good angles, and has broad shoulders, functional strength, and a low center of gravity, so it’s harder for players to turn the corner on him or bully him. And his long arms and effort help him to contest any direct pullups or inside shots driving into his chest.  He has solid change of direction north to south, but gets beaten and stuck more moving east to west and seems vulnerable to counter moves. If the player drives, Richardson pretty instinctively starts taking an angle to intersect them closer to the hoop, but a good step back can be more problematic. Given his lack of closing speed and jumping ability, taller shooters with a high point of release tend to get some very clean and open looks he can’t really contest.

Richardson does a really good job as a team defender rotating and covering for teammates.  He instinctively shifts to different players and aside from tagging down, has the strength, determination, and long arms to at least keep bigs at bay and not be an automatic target. He’s not defending one for any length of time, but can be a good team defender.

He will fight through screens, using his strength, effort, and good angles to minimize advantages.  However, he can still can be rubbed off and then can struggle to recover, especially on jumpers.  His lack of quickness does hurt him on screens, as even if he makes the right decision, if he gets a step or so behind, he can just be beaten by quicker players.

Jase’s instincts and anticipation allow him to jump passing lanes, make timely digs, and generate the occasional steal or weakside block.  He has a great motor and always gives a strong effort.

Overall, he provides value as a good individual and team defender, just with limitations.