I have a link to the article below and I took a small part of it out for your reading pleasure. Needless to say, this article and articles of this type is why I am so skeptical about how much respect I give JJ Reddick:
http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/lazenby/2010/07/04/fisher-blake-and-redick-the-rise-of-the-character-guys/
"Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is raving privately that Reddick is the one guy on his roster who truly cares about the game, that ownership should do everything possible to keep the free agent. Reddick’s work ethic and big-game delivery have also deeply impressed the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Any one of the three teams could wind up giving mid-level exception money to Reddick, better than $30 mil over five years. Meanwhile, journeyman point guard Steve Blake has turned down more money to accept a $16 million, four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. You could argue that guys like Red dick and Blake stand to benefit because the smart teams are realizing that they can buy all the “spent-my-whole-life-on-scholarship” talent they want, but they have to have a hard-nosed leader in the mix."
First and foremost, I am a firm believer that Stan Van Gundy is an underachiever at this point in his career so him liking a player is not saying much to me. This is the same guy that can't see that Rashard Lewis is a small forward. Also, he is a horsed-voice drama queen that coaches and reacts with emotion instead of logic.
For example, he brought back Jameer Nelson in the 2009 finals and force fed him into the Magic's starting lineup when Rafer Alston was already there, healthy and playing well. Additionally, now we know why Reddick got more minutes than Pietrus and Barnes in the 2010 playoffs. Yes, Reddick may very well work harder or “care about the game more” than some players but the fact is that you went further with Pietrus getting the minutes last year. Secondly, what big game delivery has Reddick had? I pointed out to a friend of mine every time he sold out in the defining moments last year. However, I do agree that he should get mid-level somewhere.
Secondly, What interest has Steve Blake received from other teams? I did not read anything like that. I did not even see him in any articles before the Lakers signed him.
Lastly, who is the hard-nosed leader the dude is talking about in this article? He is suppose to be talking about Fisher but somehow manages to not put Fisher in that paragraph. Is Blake and Reddick hard- nosed? Please!!!!!!! This is a case of some journalist pushing an angle because he identifies with the player more. T-shirt anyone? Look, the Bears are who we thought they were!!!!!!! So is J.J. Reddick. He is an undersized shooting guard. He does not have a serviceable starting quality like defense like Joe Dumars had and can not be a starter on every team in the league just like most undersized shooting guards. Additionally, he is not quick like a Monta Ellis or the defender like a Danthay Jones. As far as shooting, he is living off of his Duke shooting days. He finally did shoot 40% from the 3-point line last year but before that he was maybe a little above average shooting 38%, 37% and 39% . Is he a good shooter? Yes. However, is he a great streak shooter like a Vernon Maxwell or John Starks? How many times has he came in a game and lit it up like a Dell Curry used to do or even a Kyle Korver for Utah and changed the game? ONCE THAT I CAN REMEMBER !!!!! That was in last years playoffs against Boston and Orlando lost that game. So, he is ceiling as a shooter is more of a high percentage low volume shooter like Steve Kerr as oppose to a "catch fire guy like" Curry, Maxwell, Starks or Korver. So why does a guy who has a ceiling of Steve Kerr is so interesting and so loved? Is is because he went to Duke? Or is it because he is going to have a career average of 6 points similar to Steve Kerr?
Anyhow, let me get back to Reddick because somehow I have managed to do Steve Kerr, who I like and who has hit many clutch shots for the Bulls and Spurs, a disservice by comparing him to JJ Reddick. Let me move right along with me point which is Reddick is closer to Kerr than he is to a Curry or Korver. Similar to Kerr, he is undersized, slow and lacks any definable skill aside from shooting spot up jumpers that would make him anything more than a bench player on most teams. That skill would be valuable if he could light it up sometimes or get his shot off consistently but he can't. So with that said, maybe he can be a very good bench player or maybe a starter on a loaded team with two big man being able to defend the basket behind him. However, they are actually comparing this dude to Derek Fisher who has five rings, was a late first round pick as oppose to Top 15 and has hit multiple clutch shots against the best teams in the league. They say that Blake and Reddick have the same character as DEREK FISHER!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me?
Lastly, if Stan Van Gundy loves him so much, how come he never became the starter in Orlando? Wouldn't you think that Van Gundy would start him if he loves him so much? The answer is simple. It is because if he gets more minutes, his flaws will show more.
I ain’t going to even start on Steve Blake.
In conclusion, if you switch J.R. Smith to Orlando and JJ Reddick to Denver, who gets the better of the deal?
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