ORLANDO – Josh Richardson, Miami’s sharpshooting swingman who has a fairly quick first step when he drives to the basket, normally breezes past 7-footers.
Watch him fly by Atlanta’s John Collins, a very athletic big man, from last season:
When the former second round draft pick tried doing the same thing against Jonathan Isaac in the closing seconds of the Magic’s opening night win over the Heat, a very different result ensued.
The nearly 7-foot Isaac – he’s listed at 6-10 – is not your average big man, though. It’s hard to find anyone around his height who slides his feet as well as the recently-turned 21-year-old, nor do many players this tall have such remarkably good instincts and anticipation when pressuring ball handlers.