Josh Richardson entered this past season at a crossroads.

Even though he showed flashes in 2016-17, injuries marred his sophomore campaign and kept him out of action quite often.

So at that point, it was up to J. Rich to take that next step, stay on the court and impact winning for the HEAT.

That’s exactly what he did.

Not only did he expand his offensive game and add the scoop shot to his arsenal, but he also answered the call defensively and was the only player in the league to record at least 121 steals and 75 blocks during the regular season.

What’s more, Richardson was one of Miami’s best players in the clutch, as he tallied a 12.9 net rating in those situations.

Long story short, the former Tennessee Volunteer had a breakout season in every sense of the word.

Let’s take a look at some of his best games from 2017-18.

Dec. 1 vs. Charlotte: Scoring At Every Level

Richardson had his entire offensive repertoire on display in this one, as he attacked the basket, maneuvered around screens for mid-range jumpers and knocked down some of his usual catch-and-shoot threes.

Of course, his best play of the night came late in the fourth when he followed his own miss, absorbed contact inside and finished a tough lay-in.

On the flip side of the ball, J. Rich held Nicolas Batum to a paltry 2-of-8 from the field when matched up with the Frenchman.

So yeah, Richardson pretty much had his way.

In all, the swingman scored a team-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep, and also grabbed two boards and swiped a steal.

Dec. 16 vs. L.A. Clippers: Impacting The Game On Both Ends

Simply put, Richardson could not be denied on this night.

In addition to drilling six treys and sinking two clutch free throws with 19.9 seconds left, he also made life miserable for Lou Williams.

How so?

Well, Richardson swatted Williams twice and held him to just 2-of-7 shooting.

That’s impressive.

When it was all said and done, J. Rich led the HEAT with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, and also accumulated three rebounds, three blocks, two assists, one steal and a team-high plus-eight rating.

Dec. 26 vs. Orlando: Taking Over In The Fourth Quarter

Even though Wayne Ellington caught fire from deep late in this contest, Richardson also balled out and helped Miami pull away in the fourth.

In fact, the 24-year-old led the team with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the period, with a bulk of those coming on aggressive takes to the basket.

Gotta love it.

Richardson ended up with a team-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, seven boards and five assists.

Jan. 7 vs. Utah: Coming Through In The Clutch

While the raw numbers won’t jump off the page, this was perhaps Richardson’s best all-around game of the season.

Sure, his season-high seven assists are part of the reason why, but his superb play down the stretch made this outing special. From a big offensive rebound and tight defense on Donovan Mitchell to the game-winning layup with 5.1 seconds left, Richardson did whatever it took to come out ahead.

He finished the day with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks to go along with his aforementioned seven assists.

Feb. 7 vs. Houston: Recording A Career High

Despite the loss, Richardson did all he could to try and will Miami to victory.

From the start, he showed he was ready to rock with some nice drives, but this matchup was all about his long-range shooting.

Thanks to always being in the right spot, Richardson nailed a career-high seven threes and scored a career-high 30 points against a very tough Rockets team.