Article from the Orlando paper about JJ and getting some playing time before the playoffs.
There’s no excuse now.
J.J. Redick — you remember him — should play in these meaningless games down the stretch.
He should have some games here for the Magic when he plays 20-25 minutes.
If the Magic believe that player development has real meaning and is not an oxymoron, J.J. should play.
Because as embarrassing as it is for Redick to sit on the bench at home late in a lopsided game and hear the Rudy-like chants, it’s even more embarrassing for a franchise to see him collect mothballs.
What does that accomplish?
For the life of me, I don’t get it.
Redick should have played most, if not all, the game Sunday in New York against the lowly Knicks. Stan Van Gundy should have rested his starters and guys like Redick and Marcin Gortat should have been given so many minutes that they fell over in exhaustion.
The Magic have had a playoff spot clinched since March 15 and they solidified the No. 3 position Saturday with a win in Cleveland. They can’t move up or down. They can only make their record prettier in these last five games.
They want to win 50, and that’s a nice number. But they also shelled out a first-round pick for Redick in 2006, and he has had no extended run of playing time since he arrived. It’s not as if the Magic have had this terrific draft resume, either; they need to show fans something.
The clubnever has given an indication to me that they don’t they think he can play in this league.
Even if the Magic believe that Redick will have to be moved — J.J. asked to be dealt early this season — you still need to try to showcase him, don’t you? He is a shooter and they never lose their vaIue.
Practice is not enough. Everybody knows that.
Get Redick on the floor.
Now is the time.