J.J. Redick: He needs to Leave Orlando Magic to reach NBA Star Level
I am a fan of Orlando Magic since late 90s and have been following their moves all this time. I have seen how Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Horace Grant and Shaquille O’Neal run rampant the NBA but came short miserably.
I have seen how Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill team up trying to be the best in the L – but came short miserably.
In the past few years, I have seen how Dwight Howard develops into a superstar using his physical prowess to overpower the opposing sides.
Of all the players who come and go, I personally highlight one underrated player of them all. No, his name is not definitely Shaq; Nick Anderson? Nah – he’s good, except he missed 4 free-throws in a row that probably cost the Magic NBA Champ title; Penny Hardaway? Nobody can blame him for being injured; T-Mac? He’s just too lazy to capitalize on his extraordinary basketball skills; Grant Hill? I always worried about his injuries.
To cut the crap out, the most underrated player in Orlando Magic’s history is J.J. Redick.
Many would disagree, but the Duke grad deserves a much bigger role in an NBA team. Instead, Redick only averages 18 minutes per game during his career coming in from the bench.
He did threaten to leave the Magic. He knows what he can do, however the Magic Coach doesn’t really trust him to run the show at shooting guard position.
The Bulls knew what Redick can do, and offered a contract that the Magic decided to match – more than $20 million in three years, until the 2012/13 NBA season ends.
The 4-year NBA player’s power is in his shooting capability. He is a shooter that needs to be allowed to shoot, obviously. Instead, the Magic chose Vince Carter, and, the latest, J Rich and Gilbert Arenas to run the backcourt. J Rich is all right, but Arenas is a disappointment.
The Magic need a pure shooter who can do his role well – shooting the ball, score 2s or 3s on regular basis, nothing fancy. With the opponents’ attention is on Dwight Howard, getting open shots will happen quite a lot. Remember when Shaq get triple-team during his tenure with the Magic? Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson punish the other teams with their open 2s and 3s – well, mainly 3s.
Mr. Van Gundy – with all due respect, please give Redick more chance. If not, just let him go and let him be an NBA star on another team – at least allows him to have a Ben Gordon-like career.
J.J. Redick fan – you might want to check his official site out.
