Why Magic rookie was 'thankful' for surprising second half insertion

For most of the season, Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson has been fighting uphill to crack Jamahl Mosley's rotation.

Over his first 11 games, he totaled just 68 minutes, including a 21-minute stint against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 21, his best game of the season. Outside of that game, he's logged only three other appearances of more than six minutes, with just one cracking 10-plus minutes.

Well, Mosley threw his No. 25 overall pick in the fire Wednesday evening in the Magic's two-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Richardson played all but eight seconds of the game's final 16 minutes, making a sizable impact in a limited sample.

"I think, for me, coming in, in those minutes -- especially in the closing game like that -- you want to try to come out and try to be as competitive as you can," Richardson said after the game. "I was thankful for [head coach Jamahl Mosley], honestly. Putting me in the fourth quarter, especially in a close game like that. Just trying to make the most of my time."

Jase Richardson continues to showcase why he should be in rotation:

At this point, I sound like a broken record. But on the court, Richardson's shown why he's deserved an increased look in the Magic rotation.

In 16 minutes against San Antonio, Richardson finished with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal, canning three of his five field goal attempts. He acknowledged after the nail-biting loss that earning that trust in a crucial situation is a confidence booster.

"You always want to play in close games," he said. "And it definitely builds your confidence. Having coach putting you in with two minutes left in the game and he's trusting you to make a play -- it does a lot for your confidence."

In 12 games, Richardson has totaled only 39 points on 14-of-28 shooting and 5-of-11 from 3-point range. He also has 12 rebounds, 12 assists and two steals. He's been efficient, a smart decision-maker and scrappy on the defensive end, despite his smaller stature.

"He's been locked in the whole time," guard Jalen Suggs said after Wednesday's loss. "He changed the game from his couple stops he got. Just his energy on the defensive side, you see him getting out to run.

"Offensively, he was real decisive whether he was driving, kicking, causing problems, to find his sprayouts and find cutters. I think he played a great game. Obviously, losses suck and we can get better, but I thought he was a very bright spot tonight."

If one thing is abundantly clear from his limited sample: Richardson impacts the game positively. We'll see if he'll get to show that in the coming games or not.

Jase Richardson continues to showcase why he should be in rotation:

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