NBA Playoffs: 10 sleeper players to watch in Round 1

J.J. Redick

The Clippers’ sharpshooting two-guard is always one of the most overlooked players in the NBA and that won’t change come playoff time. He led the league in three-point percentage with a career-high 47.5 this season, providing elevated scoring and vital spacing for the Chris Paul-DeAndre Jordan pick-and-roll during the three months Blake Griffin missed due to injury.

Thanks to that hot stroke from deep and 2.7 threes a night, Redick averaged 16.3 points per game (21 per 36 minutes) and remains one of the most valuable (and underrated) pieces in the Clippers’ elite offense.

In fact, L.A. scored an average of 11.2 more points per 100 possessions with Redick on the floor this season (per Basketball Reference).

In the first round, Redick’s Clippers will be up against the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s a matchup that features a host of talented guards in the form of CP3, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and even the recently-heated-up Jamal Crawford.

Essentially, it’s the perfect recipe for a shootout. And while the Clippers and their 4th place ranking in defensive efficiency gives them an advantage in this regard, Redick will still be crucial in keeping up with the Blazers’ deadly shooters.

Furthermore, besides the way his tireless off-ball movement and runs off picks is so difficult to stop, he can form a deadly partnership with Griffin, who’s returned just in time for the playoffs. With the attention Redick draws to the perimeter and the hand-offs he runs with Blake, there’s no doubt the sharpshooter is a sleeper to watch out for — both in round 1 and going forward.

Next: Nicolas Batum