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.

JJ is back with the Magic 90 minutes before tipoff after being with his brother who had major surgery to remove a tumor on his spine.

Here is article from John Denton, Florida Today

ORLANDO — Magic reserve shooting guard J.J. Redick rejoined the team Wednesday 90 minutes before tipoff after traveling to Virginia to be with his younger brother, David.

Redick missed Monday’s lopsided defeat of the Atlanta Hawks and Tuesday’s practice. He has averaged 3.7 points in 27 games this season.

My Apologies To Those Who Built Their Night Around A J.J. Redick Appearance

Posted on Mar 5, 2008 3:11:11 PM

This is an actual e-mail I received just before tip-off Tuesday night of the Magic-Raptors game from a Magic fan. Er, make that a J.J. Redick fan:

Sent: Tue 3/4/2008 6:32 PM
To: Schmitz, Brian
Subject: Tuesday game/no JJ

Well I finally thought I was getting something for my $159 league pass upon seeing today’s articles. So I sat down with a nice Merlot. Someone down there owes me a bottle of wine.. and cheese.

    Yes, I feel badly about that. (Who knew Merlot went with the Magic?)

    As I wrote in Magicbasketblog and Tim Povtak wrote after attending the morning shootaround, it appeared J.J. would receive significant playing time against the Raptors.

     Keith Bogans had a painful abdominal strain, and was questionable.

That would have meant J.J. would have backed up Mo Evans.

     But the “Mo-gans” tag-team at shooting guard — Mo and Bogans — stayed intact.

     Bogans played, although as Coach Stan Van Gundy said, he appeared “uncomfortable.” As usual, Redick sat and didn’t even make a cameo.

       We try to give you the most accurate and up-to-date info we can, despite the fact the Magic are not always forthcoming or particularly helpful when it comes to injury news. Might I also suggest that you don’t plan your evening around the chance of J.J. getting into a game.

      He’s not going to get any charity from teammates who are fighting for playing time, either.

       After the game, Bogans gave me a look when I asked him if he thought about resting. “After what happened to me last season?” he said, referring to his lost season under Brian Hill. And Evans is a free agent-in-waiting.

      So, maybe Mo or Bogans can reimburse you for your wine and cheese.

      How about some Mogan David?

Brian

Once again JJ gets a dreaded DNP and this was the game he was suppose to get a lot of minutes if were to really believe the Orlando news paper. Well they were wrong. Even though he was hurting SVG wanted Bogans on the court instead of playing JJ. Either JJ needs to traded on the off season or something really big needs to change with the Magic because right now it is really showing that JJ is getting a raw deal with the coach’s with the Magic.

The coach for the Magic said that JJ most likely will not play on Saturday. He only played against Philly because no one else was playing well in a game the Magic lost badly.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-mnotes2908feb29,0,627709.story