JJ Redick sees Clippers as a “perfect fit”
By Ryan Donoho
JJ Redick was included in a 3 team trade between the Clippers, Buck, and Suns, and it he found himself in Los Angeles. Redick isn’t the only new addition for the Clippers, as he joins Jared Dudley, Antwan Jamison, Darren Collison, and new head coach Doc Rivers as part of the impressive off-season they put together. After 6 1/2 seasons in Orlando, and a disastrous few months in Milwaukee, Redick will be looking for some stability in LA, and he feels like he’s found the perfect fit, via Clippers.com:
"I felt my skillset, both from a physical standpoint and from a mental and approach standpoint, was a perfect fit for this team,” Redick said. “I still feel that way. Obviously, you have to go play games and see how you mesh as a team, but I see this as a great fit for me.”"
Redick has a point. Under Doc Rivers, he will be running around a series of screens much like Ray Allen did in Boston. A lot of the Clippers’ problems last season revolved around halfcourt offense and execution. They became Chris Paul dependent, and a lot of times they blew leads because of it. There is no doubt that the self proclaimed “Lob City” flourishes with fast breaks, but with Redick, Dudley, and Rivers, LA may have found the antidote. Redick won’t be in for any surprises with coming off screens, as 87.9% of his 3 pointers came off an assist, and he shot 40% overall coming off screens with the Magic last season (just under 35% from 3). Check out where he may be getting most of his shots:
The Clippers are in for a special season, and they should add to their 56 wins from last season. The real question for them is frontcourt depth, and defense. Under Rivers, they should improve defensively, but they are essintially banking on DeAndre Jordan taking the next step. They weren’t terrible on defense last season, but they couldn’t finish games, and DeAndre found himself plopped on the bench in the end of those games. This could be a record year for the Clippers, and Redick is confident that he could be a big part of it.