Clippers shooting guard JJ Redick targeting January 15th return date
By Brad Rowland
It has been about 2 weeks since LA Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick was diagnosed with a broken hand that came with 6-to-8 week timetable for return, but now, there is a ray of sunshine with regard to his prospects.
Some good news for Clippers. I hear JJ Reddick is ahead of schedule in his return from broken hand. Now targeting Jan. 15 return
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 16, 2013
With apologies for Ramona Shelburne’s spelling above (she does a wonderful job for ESPN LA), Redick’s projected return date of January 15th would place him on the low end of the stated timetable, and that is a big win for the Clippers. Since Redick went down on November 29th, the team is just 4-4 (versus 12-5 with him in the lineup), and their offensive spacing simply hasn’t been the same without him on the court with Chris Paul.
In the 17 games that Redick has played, he’s been exactly what many believed he would be, posting a stellar 18.3 PER rating with 15.8 points per game and a 46/36/93 slash line of shooting percentages. The 29-year-old Redick is far from a superstar, but he’s established himself as one of the best shooters in the league while vastly improving defensively, and the drop-off from him to backup Willie Green (yikes) has been severe.
There is a sharp divide among the experts about whether the Clippers are a legitimate title threat this season, but I think most would agree that they need Redick healthy in order to make a run. He’s a few steps closer now.