Redick | Orlando Magic Fan Blog

JJ Redick, Mickael Pietrus & Magic warmup

By OrlandoMagicFan on Friday, September 30th, 2011 | No Comments

JJ Redick Michael Peitrus and the Orlando Magic shootaround
Video Rating: 0 / 5

J.J. Redick feels ‘great’ as he continues recovery from surgery

By OrlandoMagicFan on Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 | No Comments

J.J. Redick, shown here in July after a workout, is making progress in his return from surgery in late May (Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel)

J.J. Redick is eager to find out if he has recovered completely from surgery in late May to repair two muscle tears in his lower abdomen.

The Orlando Magic guard says he feels great, and he’s gone full-speed with his workout regimen for a couple of months now. But even Redick acknowledges that he’s looking forward to seeing how he feels during and after a full-speed competitive situation.

“I haven’t tested myself in a competitive situation to say whether or not I’m 100 percent,” Redick said. “But I’m feeling great. I really am. I don’t know what percentage I’m at, but I’m really, really, really happy with where I’m at right now.”

It’s been a strange summer for Redick — and for all of his Magic teammates — because of the NBA lockout. NBA players are not permitted to set foot inside NBA practice facilities, and team and league employees are not allowed to communicate with players.

“I think the strangest part for me over the past 2½ months is just that I haven’t gotten a text message from Stan Van Gundy,” Redick joked. “That’s been the weirdest part.

“No, as someone who kind of trains and always has a plan for things, it’s weird to make a plan and have a training program and then just kind of never know when it’s going to end. It could end abruptly or it could go on and on and on. So I hope I end up not looking like a linebacker. That aspect of it is very frustrating.”

Redick plans to participate when Magic players meet for informal team workouts. But Redick thinks he will visit Duke, his alma mater, during the month of October.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

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Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

J.J. Redick making progress in his return from surgery

By OrlandoMagicFan on Friday, July 22nd, 2011 | No Comments

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick trains during offseason

J.J. Redick is close to full speed in his basketball drills (Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel)

Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick is making significant progress in his return from the two abdominal tears he suffered in March and from the subsequent late-May surgery he underwent to repair the injuries.

Redick is pushing himself in his rehab work: shooting baskets most days at Rollins College, focusing on strengthening his core, lifting weights, stretching, doing Pilates, undergoing physical therapy and receiving a treatment called active release therapy.

Some work by Orlando Sentinel staffers will give you a sense of how Redick is approaching his summer.

Senior photographer Gary W. Green and I followed Redick on a recent Tuesday. Gary took a ton of pictures, which you can see in this photo gallery.

I wrote a story describing how Redick is handling the NBA lockout.

And Gary shot and edited this video of Redick’s day:

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

JJ Redick Dunk (Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks)

By OrlandoMagicFan on Monday, July 18th, 2011 | 14 Comments

04/28/2011, NBA Playoffs, first round, game 6
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Orlando Magic paid starter’s money for J.J. Redick last summer

By OrlandoMagicFan on Thursday, July 7th, 2011 | No Comments

The Orlando Magic matched the Chicago Bulls’ 3-year, million offer to J.J. Redick last season. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

A year ago, one of the NBA’s best teams signed J.J. Redick to be its starting shooting guard.

The Chicago Bulls offered Redick a 3-year, million offer sheet they assumed was too expensive for the Orlando Magic to match. The Magic, of course, kept Redick in Orlando by equaling the front-loaded offer sheet, making Redick a well-paid reserve guard.

In fact, at a little over million per year, Redick is receiving money akin to what the average starting shooting guard is paid in the NBA, especially a guard surrounded by high-priced players such as Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas.

So, when Brian Schmitz wrote that J.J. Redick might be the Magic’s starting shooting guard next season, it certainly wasn’t a crazy notion.

Otis Smith signed Redick to a three-year deal that could cost the Magic organization about million, when you factor in the luxury tax penalty, and the size of that deal points to Redick eventually starting for the Magic.

If Redick starting was never in the Magic plans, you have to wonder if the Magic were too territorial in keeping Redick away from the Bulls, whose contract offer would’ve given Redick the chance to compete with Kyle Korver for the starting shooting guard position. Once the Bulls lost Redick, they signed Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer, with Bogans eventually winning the job.

If Redick was good enough to start for Chicago – the team with the NBA’s best record last season – shouldn’t he be good enough to start in Orlando?

Opinions of Magic fans seem to be mixed when it comes to Redick starting, with the primary concern being his ability to defend opposing shooting guards. His height (6-foot-4) and wingspan (even shorter, 6-foot-2) don’t help him against bigger guards — such as Joe Johnson — and his lateral quickness isn’t adept enough to defend creators like Dwyane Wade (although, to be fair, who can cover Wade one-on-one?). Stan Van Gundy has called Redick his “best team defender” outside of Dwight Howard, but that doesn’t change the fact that Atlanta specifically targeted Redick with its isolation offense during the most recent playoffs.

Offensively, however, Redick could be an improvement over Jason Richardson when looking at the Magic’s overall efficiency, in my opinion. Redick does certain things offensively that none of last year’s starters were willing to do. He possesses a great feel for the offense away from the ball and looks to pass the ball early in the shot clock, which are desirable traits to go with his smooth jumper. At one point last season, Van Gundy said the Magic were missing a player who could fill the role of Matt Barnes and Courtney Lee — a guy not always looking for his own shot, but instead looking to swing the ball around the perimeter and move away from the ball — and Redick’s the closest thing to that type of player the Magic have. Redick is a scorer, certainly — but he’s a team player who’s willing to fill whatever role the Magic place upon him.

The Magic have a decision to make this summer at the shooting guard position. Jason Richardson is an unrestricted free agent, perhaps the best two-guard on the open market. Depending on the new collective bargaining agreement, the Magic might not be allowed to sign Richardson because they’re so far over the salary cap. If the rules allow the team to sign him, it’ll force the DeVos family to tack on even more to one of sports’ highest payrolls.

The Magic might make a trade for a shooting guard, although it’s unlikely they’ll land an impact player who’s definitively better than Richardson or Redick.

Gilbert Arenas could start at shooting guard, but he didn’t produce at that position last season and he’s far more comfortable playing the point.

In many ways, perhaps the team’s decision on who would be this year’s starting shooting guard was already made last summer, when the Magic gave Redick a starter’s salary.

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zmccann@orlandosentinel.com

Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

J.J. Redick talks about idea of being a starter next season

By OrlandoMagicFan on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 | No Comments

J.J. Redick says his recovery from surgery for a torn abdominal muscle is going well. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

J.J. Redick accepted long ago that he’ll probably never start for the Orlando Magic.

And he’s fine with that.

“I would certainly like to start – every player would like to start – but I enjoy my role on the Magic and for me, any frustration that I’ve had in the last few years has been about not winning a championship,” Redick said Tuesday at his basketball camp in Orlando. “I’m not motivated to start; I’m motivated to win a championship.”

But with Jason Richardson entering unrestricted free agency and the Magic already possessing a huge payroll, it’s possible Redick could go into next season as the team’s starting two-guard. Brian Schmitz suggested the team is planning to go that way after drafting defensive specialist DeAndre Liggins in the second round.

It’d mark quite the ascension for Redick, who barely played during his first two seasons and asked for a trade in 2008 because of the lack of playing time. He’s improved markedly in the years since, and now he’s a vital role player for Orlando.

Could the next step be as a starter?

Redick insists that’s not his focus.

“I can control certain things, and that’s not one of the things I can control,” he said. “I do believe in certain situations, no matter how well you play, your role is not going to change. Once I accepted that as an NBA player, I was OK with coming off the bench.”

Redick talks about his recovery, the Magic’s draft and more after the jump.

Redick on if starting would improve his shooting: “The thing about the NBA, and you guys all know this, is just because you’re starting doesn’t mean you’re going to get more shots, because then you’re playing with mostly the first team. You look at how Dallas plays, and if you dissect the difference between DeShawn Stevenson’s role and Jason Terry’s role, I’d lean toward wanting to do Jason Terry’s role, in being a scorer off the bench, as opposed to being a defensive specialist in the starting unit. I’m going to let Stan and Otis figure that out.”

Redick on the recovery from his injury: “My recovery’s going well. I have shot the last couple days. Today I actually did some different stuff on the court, just simulating movement. I ran in circles, and I wish I was kidding when I said that, but I really did run in small little circles to simulate the torque of turning. And I’m fine with that. I’m very pleased with where I’m at right now in this recovery from surgery.”

Redick on if he’s touched base with the Magic’s draft picks: “I was in the Bahamas this past weekend to celebrate my birthday and one-year anniversary, so I did not watch the draft. I like both kids we got in the draft. I actually met both guys this morning before camp, they were in. I don’t know a whole lot about either player, but I think Otis and Stan are generally on the same page when putting guys in our system when they’re going to fit in our system. And they both sound like they’ll be good fits, character-wise and just how they play.”

Follow @ZachMcCann

zmccann@orlandosentinel.com

Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

J.J. Redick says his recovery from surgery is on schedule

By OrlandoMagicFan on Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 | No Comments

WINTER PARK — J.J. Redick says his recovery from surgery in late May to repair two abdominal-muscle tears is going well.

Appearing today at an event to publicize a Central Florida meals-for-kids program, Redick said, “The surgery was successful. I’m still recovering and I’m following probably a slower protocol because it is the offseason and I’m not in any rush to get back. I’ve always started my training in July, so I don’t feel like I’m behind or anything. My main concern right now for the next two to three weeks is just getting healthy and getting back to the point where I can train and prepare for next season.”

Redick’s comments mirror those he made last week about the procedure he underwent on May 26.

Below, you can watch video of Redick speaking to the media:

Some other highlights from the session:

• On the chances of a lockout: “Of course we’ve talked about it. I think the assumption now is that there will be some sort of work stoppage. Obviously, the hope is that it doesn’t last long. The first hope is that it doesn’t happen and that a deal can be done in the next 16 days. If it [a lockout] happens, I’ll just continue to prepare as if the season was going to start on time.”

• What he’ll do if there’s a lockout: “. . . If there is a prolonged lockout I definitely will see myself spending some time up in Durham [at Duke to work out and train].”

• How restricted he was by his injury in the playoff series: “At the time, I felt like I was moving well. I don’t feel like I was restricted. I do feel like I was rusty and wasn’t in a rhythm, but I don’t think I would’ve changed anything. I don’t think if I had gone to see Dr. [William] Meyers during the season and he had recommended surgery at that point, I don’t think I would’ve done the surgery anyways. I think I would’ve just tried to play and play through it anyways. So I don’t think it changed anything, and looking back, it’s certainly not an excuse for me going 1 for 15, or whatever I was, from 3. I just want to get to a point where I feel normal, and I’m headed there.”

• On Dwight Howard’s recent comments critical of some teammates: “I believe that as a professional athlete the onus is on yourself to take responsibility. I think all of his teammates feel that we could’ve done things better. But I think we can all do things better. I think we all have areas that we can improve in. I don’t know what Dwight’s future is in Orlando. I’m not going to speculate on that. Obviously, I hope he stays. I hope I stay here. But I think at the end of every season, I know for myself I assess what I did well and what I did not so well and then I look to continue to improve in my strengths and work even harder on my weaknesses.”

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: J.J. Redick

By OrlandoMagicFan on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 | No Comments

J.J. Redick became a fixture in the Orlando Magic’s rotation in 2009/10, appearing in all 82 games an averaging career-bests in scoring (9.6 points per game) and three-point shooting (40.5 percent). That performance, along with his development as a defender and passer, helped him earn a front-loaded offer sheet with the Chicago Bulls, who envisioned him as their starting two-guard.

The Magic matched the offer, despite already employing highly paid starter Vince Carter at the time. The call was an easy one at the time, and Redick showed why that was so in 2010/11. No, he didn’t put up eye-popping stats or reach new heights, but he played consistently well enough to earn 25.6 minutes per game, the most of his career, as he continued to earn the trust of Stan Van Gundy and his teammates. Redick’s most recent campaign illustrates that there’s something to be said for unspectacular reliability.

J.J. Redick
No. 7
Shooting Guard
Points Per Game	Rebounds Per Game	Assists Per Game
10.1	1.9	1.7
Points Per 36	Rebounds Per 36	Assists Per 36
14.1	2.7	2.4
PER	Rebound Rate	Assist Rate
12.8	4.4	11.0
FG%	3FG%	FT%
44.1	39.7	87.5
eFG%		TS%
53.8		58.9
All statistics in this table from Redick’s player page at basketball-reference. Career-high statistics highlighted in gold; career-worst statistics highlighted in silver.

Due to his notoriety at the reviled Duke University, casual hoops fans love to harp on Redick for what he can’t do, as evidenced by the fact that he’s among the Magic’s most heavily booed players on the road. If those folks could set aside their distaste for his alma mater for a moment, they’d see a sound player who gives a great effort and contributes on a nightly basis. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any team that doesn’t have room for Redick in its rotation.

Of course Redick is a gifted scorer, which is one of the reasons Orlando made him the 11th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Over the last three seasons, he’s worked hard to diversify his offensive game, and as a result has become more than simply a standstill shooter. He can attack off the dribble and read a defense reasonably well for a two-guard, which are valuable skills for someone whom defenses usually attempt to run off the three-point line.

Also valuable? What Jay Bilas might call his “motor.” He doesn’t play at a fast pace by any means, but Redick nonetheless brings good energy. He’s also smart enough to avoid mistakes, as he rarely turns the ball over on offense. At the other end, he doesn’t often get caught out of position. Taller guards feast on him, but at 6-foot-4, there’s not a lot he can do other than bust his tail. Which he does.

Redick didn’t take many steps forward this season; he played more minutes than ever before, which explains his per-game statistical bumps, but overall it’s fairly safe to say Redick is nearly a finished product. He doesn’t rebound, like, at all, nor does he have the passing skills needed to run point guard (he’s a great secondary distributor, though), and he can get worked defensively. These are his limitations. Thankfully for Orlando, he plays within them.

Grade: B

Unfortunately, Redick didn’t contribute much of anything after the All-Star Break, making just eight appearances between February 23rd and the start of the playoffs. Had he not suffered a fluke abdominal injury during one shootaround–an injury for which he underwent surgery last week–the Magic’s season may have gone a bit more smoothly. In his 17-game absence, Van Gundy stretched Jason Richardson’s minutes at shooting guard, and began using point guard Gilbert Arenas more there as well. In turn, Chris Duhon, who’d been exiled to the end of the bench, got the call to play backup point guard. Richardson wore down as the season progressed, which is bad enough, but giving inefficient, inferior players Redick’s minutes hurt the offense. He returned for the playoffs and wound up making one more three-pointer than I did, over six games, in the Magic’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Simply put: had he not missed so much time, I’d have scored him closer to a B+ or A-, because it’s hard to argue he could have or should have given the Magic more than he did when he was on the floor.

Orlando Pinstriped Post

Reports: J.J. Redick Has Surgery For Torn Abdominal Muscle

By OrlandoMagicFan on Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 | No Comments

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick successfully underwent surgery to fix a sports hernia, as Dave Pingalore first reported and Zach McCann confirmed via a team spokesman.

UPDATE (this paragraph only): the team clarified to McCann the surgery was for a torn ab muscle, not a sports hernia, as initially reported.

The fifth-year guard missed the final 17 games of the season for Orlando with what the team described as a lower abdominal injury, which he sustained trying to close out defensively during a team shootaround; Orlando Sentinel scribe Brian Schmitz correctly predicted that Redick would miss the balance of the season, and that the team would not publicly acknowledge as much.

After a five-week absence, he made his return in the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks but his play suffered. The shooting specialist connected on 35.7 percent of his attempts from the field and just 6.7 percent on three-pointers. He had a chance to prolong Orlando’s season with a wide-open triple late in Game 6, but it missed the mark and the Magic headed home as first-round losers for the first time in the Stan Van Gundy era.

Redick is the lone two-guard under contract for Orlando next season, as incumbent starter Jason Richardson will become a free agent on July 1st.

On the season, Redick shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent on threes, and averaged a career-best 10.1 points per game.

Orlando Pinstriped Post

Orlando Magic JJ Redick Black Adidas T Shirt

By OrlandoMagicFan on Thursday, May 12th, 2011 | No Comments

Orlando Magic JJ Redick Black Adidas T Shirt

Official NBA Product

JJ Redick Orlando Magic Black Shirt, made by Adidas the official authentic on court producers of NBA apparel and jerseys. Redick and 7 are printed on the back in authentic font.

Officially licensed NBA
NBA Sticker
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