Heat's Richardson takes exception to All-Rookie snub

Making the NBA is incredibly difficult, so most NBA players latch onto the "nobody believed in me" narrative at one point or another. For second-round draft picks, it's practically a mantra.

Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson, who was taken 40th overall in last summer's draft, dramatically overperformed his draft slot in his rookie season, and became a crucial contributor to the Heat down the stretch.

His season was slow to get going; he ended up playing in just 52 games, after spending some time early on shuttling back and forth between the NBA and the D-League. But once he found his stride with the Heat, he was a reliable 3-and-D force night in and night out. After the All-Star break, he averaged 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the field and an obscene 53.3 percent from 3-point range. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March.

Miami lost Chris Bosh at the break, but still went 19-10 to close the season, before coming within a game of the East finals. Richardson's a huge reason why. Alas, it wasn't enough to land him on one of the two NBA All-Rookie teams in a loaded class.

If you think Richardson didn't take it personally, well, think again.

Richardson came about as close as one could've come to making the second team, tying Charlotte Hornets big man Frank Kaminsky for 11th in voting.

Richardson and Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell were the only two Rookie of the Month winners to be left off the All-Rookie teams.