Jason Richardson

Vital Info
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 220 lbs.
Position: Small Forward/Shooting Guard
Born: 1/20/1981
College: Michigan St.
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 5th Overall

Player Type: Athletic swingman with a solid outside shot.
Strengths: Richardson is a top-flight scorer who can create his own shot with ease, especially when he gets out on the break -- a fact which shouldn't be surprising, given his resume (he's a 2-time Slam Dunk champion). In recent years, J-Rich has also honed his 3-point stroke, making him one of the more dangerous offensive players in the NBA. Richardson is above-average at steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds.
Weaknesses: Despite his athleticism, Richardson is not a particularly strong perimeter defender, a situation made worse by his recent knee injuries. Richardson has also settled for more jumpers than ever in recent seasons -- not necessarily a weakness, mind you, given that he has a solid jump shot, but still disconcerting for a 27-year-old former 2-time dunk champ. Maybe it's simply because his ballhandling skills are unimpressive for a perimeter player, limiting his options in half-court sets. Either way, only 28% of his FGAs came on inside shots (and only 5% were dunks), down from the 34% and 7% he posted pre-injury.
Favorite shot: Three-pointer from the wing.