Who Is Malachi Richardson?

A native of New Jersey, Richardson is a confident and well-rounded wing player who showed flashes of great potential during his sole year at Syracuse.

For as much as the college experience was about learning for Richardson, and he was often plagued by inconsistencies, there are plenty of reasons why NBA executives might feel he’s still well suited to excelling at an NBA level.

Although Jim Boeheim’s system always creates its own set of questions for players as they take the next step up, particularly on defense, Richardson has left a strong body of work to be assessed by.

The 20-year-old will have many different roles potentially open to him when he turns pro. He has good scoring instincts that with some added efficiency could make him an instant offense provider, while his sweet shooting stroke and impressive length could see him grow into a “three-and-D” role either.

With his stock currently seeming very fluid, it’s hard to get a true gauge on where exactly he’ll ultimately fall on draft night. Will a team be won over by the positives and take him comfortably in the first round, or could his pitfalls lead him to fall into the second round where the Bucks might just be able to steal him?

Strengths

Malachi Richardson’s length is exactly what NBA teams look for in their wing players. At 6’6″ tall and possessing a 7’0″ wingspan, Richardson has the physical tools necessary to utilize advantages on both sides of the court.

Like any player coming out of Syracuse it’s tough to pin down his defensive ability, but at the very least the early signs are positive ones. In a man to man system he’ll need to learn to be more disciplined, but as a base his length allows him to cause havoc in the passing lanes and challenge shooters on the perimeter.

On the other end of the court, Richardson presents his own threat as a shooter. With a silky smooth stroke that may be easier to get away thanks to that same length, Richardson has little difficulty knocking down jump shots from mid-range or behind the arc.

Unlike many of the better shooting prospects in this draft, Richardson shouldn’t just have to rely on spot-ups though.

Richardson is a capable creator, even if he is still lacking polish. He’ll find opportunities whether in isolation or off the dribble, and although there’s still work to be done in that department, he has half of the battle down.

Weaknesses

The biggest concern teams are going to have over Richardson in the short term is that in spite of his ability to create and his reliable shooting motion, he was incredibly inefficient from the field with the Orange.

As highlighted by his painfully low 36.9 percent success rate from the field, Richardson very simply doesn’t make enough of his shots.

A major factor in those struggles, is the 20-year-old’s poor decision making. Not unlike many youngsters who have a natural shooting touch, it seems like Richardson has yet to see a shot that he didn’t like.

Another factor that plays into Richardson’s struggles is his lack of athleticism or explosiveness. Even with his long arms, it makes it difficult for him to always find an angle to finish around bigger men inside. Considering his length, Richardson blocked very few shots too. A more explosive player with his body type would thrive when it comes to weakside blocks.

There’s a lot to like about Richardson, but there’s work to be done, and more than anything he seems like he needs to be reined in.