LAS VEGAS – Malachi Richardson helped propel Syracuse to the Final Four last season by getting hot from the outside, but the 6-foot-6 guard is working hard to prove to NBA teams that he’s more than just an outside shooter.
After making 35.3 percent of his 3-pointers as a freshman and sinking 13 triples in five NCAA tournament games, Richardson went into Tuesday’s pro day at the Impact Sports Academy in Las Vegas hoping to showcase his defense, his off-the-dribble game and his toughness in front of more than 120 scouts and front office executives from all 30 teams.
“I definitely wanted to show I can shoot the ball,” Richardson said, “but I also wanted to show I can compete and play defense. I think I can be a much better player than just being a 3-point shooter. I think I can be a complete player. That’s the goal. I don’t want to limit myself to just being a 3-point shooter or limit myself to just being an offensive player. I want to be able to do everything on the floor.”
Still, Richardson’s jumper was his most impressive attribute on Tuesday. His shot was locked in during warmups, and he made back-to-back 3-pointers from well beyond the arc during 3-on-3 play, with the second swish drawing an audible reaction from the scouts’ section of the bleachers. In the final drill of the day, Richardson sank 18-of-25 from various spots around the arc, a showing he deemed “just okay.”
Richardson averaged 13.4 points per game as a freshman and played a pivotal role in Syracuse’s unlikely march to the Final Four, including a 23-point performance (with three 3-pointers) in the Orange’s upset of top-seeded Virginia in the Elite Eight. In the wake of that run, his decision to leave school after one year did not come easy.
“It was tough,” he said. “I was teetering back and forth. The hardest part was leaving my teammates. It was an up and down year for us, but after going to the tournament and leading those guys, it was tough for me to leave.”
Richardson has been gaining momentum over the past month, with some mock drafts now projecting him as a potential first-round pick. Chad Ford had him as high as No. 13, while DraftExpress.com has him at No. 33.
Richardson has already had in-person workouts for the Utah Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks, and he interviewed with several teams after Tuesday’s pro day. He also said he’s scheduled to work out for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Richardson understands the importance of the pre-draft process.
“It’s very important,” he said. “These are the guys that are going to invest millions of dollars in you, so you want to show that you’re worthy of that money and that you’re worthy of the draft pick.”
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