The 3-Day J.J. Redick Starting SG Audition Begins Today – and Hopefully for the Remainder of the Season
The official audition for J.J. Redick to start for the Orlando Magic begins today. With Jason Richardson sidelined for the next 3 games with a sprained knee, Redick will officially get the start.
As expected, no J-Rich for the Magic this afternoon. JJ Redick will start instead. Stan says he expects J-Rich to miss the entire 3-game set
— sam_gardner (@sam_gardner) January 16, 2012
Redick’s numbers so far this season have surpassed Jason Richardson’s in virtually every category, despite playing 4 less minutes a game.
| Rk | Player | Season | MP | FGA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | AST | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.J. Redick | 2011-12 | 25.7 | 8.6 | .368 | 3.5 | .947 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 12.2 |
| 2 | Jason Richardson | 2011-12 | 29.6 | 10.1 | .333 | 1.8 | .600 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 11.1 |
The stats presented above are through 11 games with both guys appearing in every game and J-Rich starting each game.
Even with J.J.’s edge statistically, the basic numbers are not drastically different. The difference comes from J.J.s ability to substantially aid the ball movement on the floor. He is constantly moving off the ball and when he gets it, he catches and makes quick decisions. There is no stagnation. Bottom line, the team plays significantly better with Redick on the floor than with Jason Richardson.
Looking deeper into the stats, a few specific stats back up the eye test. Specifically, PER, assist percentage and turnover percentage.
| Rk | Player | PER | TS% | eFG% | AST% | TOV% | USG% | WS | WS/48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.J. Redick | 18.2 | .600 | .516 | 16.0 | 6.7 | 19.8 | 1.2 | .199 |
| 2 | Jason Richardson | 12.3 | .509 | .495 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 19.3 | 0.4 | .066 |
Redick is often on the floor in the 4th quarter playing with the starters, but having him on the bench to start the game means that the majority of his first half minutes are coming alongside the bench players. Not with Hedo, Dwight and Ryan Anderson.
It comes down to wanting the better player on the court for as many minutes as possible. The most telling stat comes from 82games.com which shows that despite playing 8% more of the team’s minutes, Jason Richardson has a 11-game +/- of -13. Redick’s? Third on the team behind Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard with a +58. 73 point difference between the two players.
With Jason Richardson re-signing this off-season there was no doubt a promise delivered from Otis that he would start. J-Rich knows this and I know first hand that he knows this. With J-Rich sidelined the next 3 days, Stan Van Gundy finally has the opportunity to give this team the type of shake-up that they desperately need if they want to get back to being an elite team.
The numbers show the move needs to be made, now Redick has 3 days and 3 games to prove beyond a doubt that Coach Van Gundy has no other choice but to make the move permanent.
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