The first article I wrote on Bleacher Report was titled "JJ Redick: The Orlando Magic Are Ruining His Career." The majority of the comments I got were about how JJ was a bust in the NBA.
My response was that he wasn't getting consistent playing time. His PT was so erratic that no one would have been able to be productive.
Ever since we changed the calendar to 2009, Redick has been getting his chance and is making the most of it.
Redick has been receiving more playing time due to injuries to Keith Bogans and Mickael Pietrus. He is trying to make it difficult for Stan Van Gundy to bench him when they return.
On New Year’s Eve he got almost 20 minutes and scored seven points on 3-6 shooting.
Nothing spectacular sure, but that was the beginning of his consistent playing time. His last six games he has played between 17:33 and 28:38 minutes per game.
In those games he has averaged 11.5 points per game, including two games in which he scored 15 points each. He shot 24-43 overall and 17-26 beyond the arc. He is also 4-5 from the charity stripe.
Redick has four assists and three steals during this stretch.
His best game was in the Magic's 121-87 blowout victory versus Atlanta. Redick shot 4-7 overall but 4-5 from behind the three-point arc.
In the Magic's victory over San Antonio, JJ shot 4-6 from three-point range. The biggest one came in the final minute, which sparked a run from the Magic to seal the victory.
Against Sacramento, JJ made four of the Magic's record 23 three-pointers.
The knock on Redick has been his lack of defensive ability. That appears to be changing a bit as well with three steals and 13 defensive boards over this six-game span.
Those aren't huge numbers I know, but they are a step in the right direction. Besides when you have a beast like Dwight Howard on your team how many boards are you really going to come down with?
All JJ ever wanted was to get his shot. Now he is, and he's showing that maybe he can be a solid role player in the NBA.
I've never claimed he would be an All-Star, but I do think he could be a good sixth or seventh option for the Magic. With Howard always in the paint being double-teamed someone has to be open on the perimeter to knock down a trey. And Redick is deadly from three-point range.
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