ORLANDO — On Saturday night against the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic rookie guard Jase Richardson went through the growing pains of one’s first NBA game.
Richardson failed to score in the first half, which left the 19-year-old frustrated heading into the locker room.
Then, a brief conversation with All-Star forward Paolo Banchero made all the difference.
“Yeah, he looked good,” Banchero said during Monday’s practice. “He was pretty frustrated at halftime. I think he was like 0 for 4 or something like that. And I think we just told him, you're getting everywhere you want to go.”
“So don't trip on missing the shot. Just keep being aggressive. Keep shooting shots. And he went out there and knocked three threes down, all within the flow of the offense.”
In the third quarter, Richardson experienced an about face and put his talent on full display, going 5–for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from the perimeter.
“You know, he's a really good player and you can tell he just kind of has a factor about him where he doesn't get very flustered or upset or frustrated,” Banchero added.
“And if he does get frustrated, he goes out there and plays better. You know, he doesn't let it affect his game. So that's pretty impressive for a rookie.”
Richardson finished the night with 13 points in just over 24 minutes of play as he aided the Magic to a 126-118 victory.
“Little bit nervous in the beginning,” Richardson said at the postgame podium. “But I feel like that’s normal for everybody.”
“I think in the second half, the game was just kind of slowing down for me, honestly,” Richardson added. “Just going out there and making simple reads. I think in the first half, I was trying to rush things a little bit; try to do things I’m usually comfortable with. But I got to learn there’s different way to get comfortable.”
“I just had to find different angles; different ways to get myself involved.”
Richardson also logged two rebounds, two assists and a steal, adding to the depth of his contributions. For coach Jamahl Mosley, Banchero’s words meant as much as Richardson’s ability to adjust.
“Well, it says a lot about him,” Mosley said. “But it also says a lot about Paolo being able to have the conversation with him to help him understand his moment in that beginning game.”
“And then the other side of it that says a lot about Jace being able to transfer to not hold on to it. That's a sign of maturity for a young player to not hold on to what you've done in the first half, good or bad, and be able to come out and play the second half.”
“Just with a clear mind, clear conscious and just play and do the things you know you're capable of doing,” Mosley added.
Richardson’s talent is obvious to his teammates and coaches, and his impact holds great value despite not having a much of a pro resume to boast.
“I mean, what we saw from Jase is what we've seen from him for the last six weeks,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said. “I mean, he's a high IQ basketball player. He makes shots. We put him out there with just about any lineup.”
“He'll find a way to be impactful. So I'm proud of him, but he still got a lot of room to grow.”