About a month ago, I met with an NBA executive who stressed the difficulty of getting a shot off during an NBA game: It takes maximum effort to get off a quality shot against some of the biggest, strongest, quickest and skilled players in the world.
Redick is the epitome of constant motion. In a league where movement can be stagnant and isolated, Redick never stops moving, and that helps to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Forward to the 30-second mark of the above highlight and you can find J.J. cut behind Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who fakes the handoff and passes to Josh McRoberts at the top of the key. Redick continues his cut to the baseline after the fake and pauses, setting up Andre Igoudala – who is no slouch defensively – for a screen from Davis. This sequence provides just enough daylight for Redick to sink the 20-footer.
When you get to the 48-second mark, you will see Redick run the floor, spot-up at the arc and drill the trey with ease.
Head to the 1:30 mark and you can find Redick spacing the floor on the weak side, setting up Nuggets guard Andre Miller for a spiffy V-cut and screen from McRoberts before receiving a handoff/screen from rookie Andrew Nicholson en route to knocking home a deep three-ball.
Lost in the shuffle of his vintage shooting is Redick’s underrated ability to make simple plays. The first highlight of the video and the highlight at the 1:22 mark illustrate the shooting guard’s ability to make plays in the pick-and-roll, particularly when there isn’t much help from the screener’s defender. This allows Redick the time to patiently survey the floor and make the proper read within the context of the game.
An underrated player in the grand scheme of things, Redick is a fun to watch because he plays hard and to his strengths. The art of moving without the ball is essential to getting off good shots, and Redick is one of the best in the NBA in this regard. With Hedo Turkoglu out at least four weeks with a broken left hand, it will be interesting to track Redick’s consistency over the first month of the season in a visibly increased role from his previous six years, mostly under Stan Van Gundy.
Nice to see my boy JJ getting shots and making buckets! Now Orlando needs to deal him and get something for him asap since they are in FULL rebuild mode.
Funny how a lot of players are stepping up like the players we create in NBA 2K’s MyPlayer mode. Harden scoring buckets in his first two games, and then Lillard beasting as a rookie. Might be a fun season after all.
Certainly will be, Zee. Looking forward to it.