The conversation is still as vivid today as it was when Quentin Richardson first sat down with coach Erik Spoelstra after the swingman arrived in a trade over the summer.
The gist of it was this: If Richardson (pictured right, blocking a shot) wanted to have a meaningful role with the Heat and be more than an expiring contract at the end of the bench, he'd have to do at least two things. First, get in condition. Second, do something he's never really been asked to do before in previous stops: Defend.
Richardson took care of the first objective and reported to camp after having dropped about 25 pounds. Among his secrets to shedding the weight, in addition to routine hard work?
"I stopped drinking alcohol," Richardson said. "I used to be a casual drinker, really. But I don't even do that any more. The only mixed drinks I have is when I mix those Crystal Light packs. I try to come up with all kind of combinations of them to make them taste better."
Now, Richardson is doing his part to take care of that other little request from Spoelstra. Known throughout his career as a streaky scorer and long-distance shooter, Richardson is now exploring the other side of his game - the one that might actually lead to steady playing time with the Heat this season.
Richardson was cast in the role of the Heat's perimeter stopper of sorts when he started at small forward alongside shooting guard Dwyane Wade and point guard Mario Chalmers in Miami's preseason win against New Orleans last Thursday in Kansas City.
He responded with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 25 minutes. Granted, Richardson only got the start because Beasley was shifted to power forward in a move to give normal starter Udonis Haslem a rest. But what Richardson is auditioning for are those 18 to 24 minutes a game that could be available behind Wade and Beasley on the perimeter this season.
Those are also minutes that Daequan Cook, James Jones and - to an extent - Yakhouba Diawara and Dorell Wright are battling for entering the season. With two preseason games and less than 10 days remaining before the Oct. 28 opener against New York, nothing is settled with the rotation.
Spoelstra said Monday that he'd like to play an eight- or nine-man mix this season and settle an issue of continuity that was never resolved with last year's team. While each man has had his moments, Richardson (pictured left) is hoping his balance of deep shooting, defense and downright swagger on the court might give him an eventual edge in the rotation run-off.
"When (Spoelstra) brought me here, he told me one of the only ways I would earn playing time is by going out there and stopping people," said Richardson, who has played in up-tempo, run-and-gun systems in Phoenix and New York. "That wasn't a surprise to me. Maybe it was to the general public. I come from a system where there weren't a whole lot of (defensive) principles. This is the most defensive-conscious system I've been in by far. People are being held accountable."
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