Some would say that this year’s trade deadline was all about who didn’t get traded.
Josh Smith will ride out the season eating conch salad in Atlanta. Boston’s legends will try extract one more extended playoff run, and Utah elected not to mess with its team on a winning streak despite a young core and two valuable assets on expiring contracts.
But we’re here to talk about a select quartet among the 27 players dealt on Wednesday or Thursday from a statistical standpoint, led by new Milwaukee Buck J.J. Redick.
J.J. Redick, G, Milwaukee- Redick is at least an above average 3-point shooter, 11th in makes at a robust 39 percent from beyond the arc, and one of the best free throw shooters in the game at 89.1 percent, fifth in the NBA.
Redick arrives at a good time for Milwaukee, because the Bucks are having an awful shooting month as a team. The team is shooting 42.8 percent from the field in February (down from 44.2 percent in January), 32.2 percent from 3 (it was 38.5 percent in January) and just 69.5 percent from the line (it was 72.3 percent in January) according to the nifty new NBA.com stats database that makes every writer’s life a whole lot easier.
So there’s a need for a shooter like Redick on the team.
The question now is how Jim Boylan is going to use him. Will he be inserted in the same lineup as Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, players with two of the 54 highest usage rates in the game? Will Redick be given the space on the floor to drive and get to the line, enabling him to utilize his strong free throw percentage? The answers to these questions will help determine whether the Bucks move up to the highly-coveted 7th spot in the East.
Jordan Crawford, G, Boston- Crawford wanted out of Washington and got his wish, being gifted to the Celtics for Jason Collins and the expiring contract of Leandro Barbosa. Crawford was abysmal in February, playing just 50 minutes in four games off the bench and shooting 31.8 percent from the field.
Having Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee entrenched as the Boston starters is actually great for Crawford, because he’s been way a better bench player than a starter this season.
Besides the Wizards’ 1-11 record in games Crawford started this season, per Basketball Reference, he’s a much better shooter in more limited minutes.
| Jordan Crawford | Games | Min/Game | FG% | 3P% |
| As Starter | 12 | 35.4 | 35.4 | 29.2 |
| As Reserve | 31 | 22.7 | 45.5 | 37.7 |
If Doc Rivers can keep Crawford’s minutes, and attitude, in check, this is a worthy gamble by GM Danny Ainge.
Patrick Patterson- F- Sacramento- For the Kings to come even close to saving face in their trade with Houston, Patterson is going to have to become a reliable rotation player as soon as possible, if not sooner. Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas are on expiring rookie contracts, so Patterson seems like the only long-term asset the Kings are going to get out of this trade.