Tag: J.J. Redick

J.J. Redick hilariously proved Stephen A. Smith wrong for claiming Nikola Jokic has no post game

“That’s not his game.” Uh, no, it actually is.

At this rate, if the Denver Nuggets can finish off the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic will likely earn his first career Finals MVP Award. The superstar Denver center has simply been that good this series and in this entire postseason, dropping masterpiece after masterpiece.

Part of Jokic’s dominance comes from what is essentially a picture-perfect and efficient post game that seemingly no defense — not even the Heat’s well-coached unit — can stop.

But while discussing all-time NBA centers on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith shared a truly awful opinion on Jokic. He claimed that the two-time regular-season MVP isn’t known for being dominant in the post. Um … alright?

This assessment drew the ire of J.J. Redick, who not only had an incredulous reaction but immediately tore apart Smith’s baseless analysis of one of the best big men of all time:

Phew. That is quite a way to rebut an opinion that seemingly manifested from thin air. There are some poor offensive plays in NBA basketball. Getting Jokic working in the post isn’t one of them. Jokic in the post might even be the most automatic points in the league and why the Nuggets could win the franchise’s first title.

I’m not sure why Smith would ever profess otherwise, but Redick got him good.

J.J. Redick was right to call out the NBA for failing to properly market stars like Nikola Jokic

It’s not fair that the NBA keeps selling the same handful of teams.

The Denver Nuggets were the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed almost from the jump this season. Their best player, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, is probably the best basketball player in the world.

And yet, for whatever reason, it felt like the Nuggets and Jokic winning the Western Conference was a surprise. That this team of “equals” was almost an underdog to the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. According to ESPN analyst J.J. Redick, this is a coverage problem of the NBA’s top teams and stars, and the league is first to blame.

On Tuesday, after Jokic and the Nuggets humbled Anthony Davis and Co. in a resounding sweep to earn their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals, the First Take crew discussed the ramifications of both the Lakers and Boston Celtics being swept in the Conference Finals.

This main point — that the NBA needed two of its historic marquee teams in the Finals simply for ratings — frustrated Redick. His ensuing rant on proper marketing was more than appropriate:

What a pristine rant. Please, no one, don’t take away Redick’s soapbox. It wouldn’t be a “problem” for the NBA that two of its most popular teams could get swept if it made more of an effort to put players and squads that earn the pedestal instead.

Right now, that is Jokic’s Nuggets. If the NBA tried selling them better, like putting them on national TV more, many of these “issues” would never arise.  No one should be surprised that Jokic and the Nuggets are in the Finals, in position for their first-ever title, after the stellar season they just had.

And if they are, it’s the NBA’s fault.

J.J. Redick took a personal jab at Stephen A. Smith’s college career and ended up apologizing

Did Redick cross the line?

While the days of Stephen A. Smith shouting at Skip Bayless for three hours on ESPN are long gone, ESPN continues to embrace Smith’s role in First Take‘s manufactured debate. As of late, former NBA player J.J. Redick has been a regular co-host alongside Smith. But even for Redick, he found that he can get carried away with the show’s desire for conflict.

That certainly happened during Tuesday’s discussion about a possible LeBron James retirement.

After Redick tried to rationalize LeBron’s comments from Monday’s Game 4 elimination, Smith essentially brushed away Redick’s remarks and called it nonsense. That led to Redick getting personal about Smith’s brief college basketball career.

Smith clearly didn’t appreciate Redick going with the “you didn’t play” card for a sports argument as you can understand a game without being able to physically perform it at a world-class level. Whether there was tension or something said off camera, we don’t know. But Redick felt the need to apologize to Smith for crossing that line and getting personal.

Fans also had thoughts on the whole exchange.

Behind a young core, JJ Redick sees big things ahead for the Pistons

The former NBA veteran believes the Pistons can eventually become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Former 15-year NBA veteran JJ Redick recently praised Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver for constructing a promising young roster and even made a bold prediction for the group.

The Pistons, led by Weaver, have hit on quite a few recent draft picks, which has helped form a strong nucleus in Detroit. They are headlined by former top pick Cade Cunningham while Saddiq Bey (19th pick) and Isaiah Stewart (16th pick) have also emerged.

The team also acquired Marvin Bagley III, the former No. 2 pick in 2018, last season ahead of the trade deadline and has Killian Hayes, the seventh pick in 2020. Additionally, they have some veterans, including Hamidou Diallo, Cory Joseph and Kelly Olynyk among others.

Detroit added lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren last month.

Certainly, the roster has taken shape over the past couple of years and has offered hope for the future. Redick, speaking on the “Old Man & the Three” podcast, believes the team is on pace for some future success.

Obviously, (they have) Cade but Saddiq Bey. Jaden Ivey looked great in summer league before he got hurt and Isaiah Stewart, I’m a big fan of. I think he is a guy that stars in his role and then the big fella (Duren) from Memphis they just drafted. Troy Weaver has done an outstanding job.

I don’t know if it is next year that they take an Oklahoma-City-Thunder leap where all of a sudden they’re a playoff team and then the following season a contender but I’m excited to see them play over the next 2-3 years. I think, in 2-3 years, they will be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

As Redick mentioned, Ivey was on pace to have a strong summer league but was injured five minutes into his second game and was ruled out of playing again. Duren, on the other hand, had a good run, averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds two assists and one block in three games.

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The Pistons look to be progressing in their rebuild after some great additions. While they don’t have players like Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook like the Thunder did when they made their leap in 2010, they have some strong pieces in place nonetheless.

After finishing near the bottom of the standings in each of the last three years, the Pistons appear to be poised to take the next step, perhaps as soon as the 2022-23 season.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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JJ Redick: Evan Mobley is a future Defensive Player of the Year

Mobley recently became just the fifth player in history with at least 50 assists and 30 blocks over his first 20 games.

ESPN analyst and former 15-year veteran JJ Redick on Wednesday said Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley has the potential to become a future NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Mobley entered the NBA this season highly touted given his ability on both ends of the floor. He established himself as an elite defender in college at USC and that ability has translated over to the NBA given his athleticism and skill to guard every position on the floor.

The third pick is averaging 14 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two blocked shots and one steal. He leads the rookie class in blocks and ranks seventh among all players. He recently became just the fifth player in history with at least 50 assists and 30 blocks over his first 20 games.

Redick, speaking on “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt,” praised Mobley.

Evan Mobley is unbelievable defensively. I don’t think people realize or are talking about (it). This guy is a future Defensive Player of the Year. Earlier today, I watched 20 minutes of YouTube highlights of Evan Mobley’s defense. He does everything on the defensive end, including switching onto smaller guards.

Mobley, who was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, certainly has the chance to reach some rare air throughout his career given his unique ability as a player who can defend at a high level, dominate inside of the paint and get others involved.

He is off to a tremendous start this season and a huge reason why the Cavaliers are currently in the playoff picture. Cleveland is night and day better with Mobley on the court and that should only get better as the season progresses.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Pelicans ‘really encouraged’ by Kira Lewis Jr. early in training camp

From Stan Van Gundy to JJ Redick, Lewis has impressed so far during Pelicans training camp.

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Kira Lewis Jr. has spent much of the early part of training camp with the New Orleans Pelicans learning as much as possible ahead of the 2020-21 season but the 13th overall pick has also impressed a few individuals along the way.

Rookies this year are at a bit of a disadvantage of entering the season after a truncated offseason period. The process of learning new plays and getting to know their teammates on the court is often lengthy and teams only have a few weeks this year to relay that information to players.

Lewis is seemingly soaking up everything that has been thrown at him.

“I love what Kira has done,” head coach Stan Van Gundy said Tuesday in a Zoom call with reporters. “Number one, you can tell his talent is there: Quick, can shoot the ball, plays really hard, good defensive instincts. He has a lot going for him as a player so that’s exciting. He’s also a great worker with a great attitude. He doesn’t question anything. He just tries to do everything you ask him to do. We are really encouraged by what we’ve seen early on.”

Lewis earned All-SEC First Team honors last season after averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31 games played with Alabama. He also shot 50.7% from the field, including 36.6% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts.

The addition of Lewis figures to be a great fit with the Pelicans given his ability to run out in transition and play both guard positions. He proved to be a solid shooter last season, something that has stood out even more to teammate JJ Redick.

“His speed strikes you immediately,” Redick said on Tuesday. “It seems like he is a better shooter than I thought. I don’t watch a ton of college basketball but watching him in drills and his ability to knock down open 3s in practice has been really good. He’s also coachable. He’s got a good demeanor out on the court. I think he responds well. I can see why we took him with that pick.”

New Orleans wants to be very aggressive in transition and appears to have the pieces in place to help facilitate that style of play. Certainly, there is much to like with Lewis and he appears to be off and running thus far in training camp.

The Pelicans begin preseason play on Monday vs. the Miami Heat.

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JJ Redick named the most impressive thing about Zion Williamson’s game

Redick discussed the most impressive aspect of Williamson’s game and it wasn’t his high-flying dunks, either.

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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson may have only played 24 games as a rookie but the former No. 1 overall pick certainly proved to be one of the most exciting players in the league.

From his first official NBA game, in which he erupted for 17 straight points on Jan. 22, to his last game of the season in the bubble, Williamson left his mark nearly every time he stepped onto the court with his athleticism, size and strength.

Fans marveled at what Williamson accomplished on the court in such a limited sample size and his teammates were no different. On Friday, JJ Redick discussed with reporters on a Zoom call what impressed him the most about Williamson.

Zion has an amazing ability to get his own rebound, I think that was probably the most impressive thing. His second jump is quicker than everyone else’s and, at 15 or 17 feet when he catches the ball, his ability to get in one movement in that area to the rim with as much speed and force as anyone I’ve ever seen. I think those are the two most impressive things with him.

Williamson averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season and emerged as an elite offensive rebounder. He hauled in 2.7 offensive rebounds per game (64 total), which ranked 22nd among all players in the NBA. Had he been healthy, Williamson likely would have finished among the leaders.

His combination of strength and athleticism allowed him to create several second-chance opportunities for his team on the offensive glass. The most impressive aspect was his ability to chase his own misses, grab them and then put them back up.

Looking ahead to this season, the Pelicans acquired Steven Adams over the offseason, who is among the best rebounders in the league. His arrival has many Pelicans fans excited as the organization has perhaps two of the best offensive rebounders on the roster in Williamson and Adams.

Williamson’s success in his second season with the Pelicans will be dependent on his health and availability but if he can stay on the court this season, the possibilities of what he can accomplish may be endless.

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J.J. Redick trash-talked Spurs’ Keldon Johnson in final bubble game

Redick scored 31 points during his final game in the bubble and let Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson know about it.

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J.J. Redick and the New Orleans Pelicans failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, snapping a personal 13-year streak, but the 14-year NBA veteran wrapped up his stay at the Walt Disney World Resort on a high note despite losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

Redick drained eight 3-pointers and tied a season-high with 31 points during the 122-113 loss on Aug. 9 as the Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention. After catching fire from beyond the arc, Redick was certainly in the zone and even started trash-talking Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson in the process.

During one play in the fourth quarter, Redick revealed to Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan on his podcast that he started trash-talking Johnson when he was speaking with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich on the sideline. Redick yelled over and let them know Johnson couldn’t guard him.

Redick: Last game in the bubble that I played in was against you guys. I hit eight 3s and had 31 and there was a moment toward the end of the game where I think it was Keldon Johnson, he was getting some instruction from Pop and I turned to Pop and I was like, ‘I’m going right, Pop. He can’t stop me!’ I went right every time. I hit one 3 going left and I was like, ‘I’m going right. I’m going right!’

DeRozan: We told him and I love him to death, he is one of my favorite rookies I’ve ever played with and we kept telling him the whole time. He always wants to take on the challenges, too, that’s why I love him.

The stats back up Redick, too.

According to NBA tracking data, Redick scored 12 points and shot 4-of-7 from the field when Johnson was his primary defender in that game. Johnson was matched up on Redick for over five minutes of game time as Redick went 2-of-3 from 3-point range.

Redick went on to say that he believes Johnson is going to be a good player for the Spurs after a strong showing in the bubble. Johnson averaged 14.1 points and five rebounds in eight seeding games while he finished by scoring 24 points in each of his last two games.

After playing sparingly for most of the season, Johnson showed off his potential in the bubble and appears to have a bright future ahead. He just may need to listen to his teammates the next time that he finds himself matched up on Redick…

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Kevin Durant, J.J. Redick both like Ja Morant: ‘The sky is the limit’

Durant and Redick detail how the Rookie of the Year can eventually become one of the best point guards in the NBA.

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Ja Morant turned in an impressive first year with the Memphis Grizzlies and that performance resulted in the second overall pick earning the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year trophy, nearly unanimously.

Morant earned plenty of respect from his peers throughout the season for his electric playing style. From Damian Lillard to Trae Young, Morant was recognized by some of the best players in the league this season and he earned even more praise this week.

Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman joined J.J. Redick on the latest episode of “The Old Man & the Three” podcast and discussed the current state of the point guard position and if Morant can eventually be in the conversation with those ahead of him.

Redick: He has got to be able to shoot it better. A couple of things about him: Clearly, he works hard. His feel for the game is insane. One of the things that I think he is so good at, at such a young age, is he has a feel for when it’s time to go and he has a feel for when it’s time to get his teammates involved. That level of feel you just don’t see from young players, especially ball-dominant players that early.

Durant: I agree with that. When he came to Barclays [Center], I saw him up close. His feel for the game and it doesn’t look like he forces anything. He is such a graceful athlete. Like you said, JJ, you got to be able to shoot it. His mechanics are not that bad; it’s not like he can’t make a shot at all. If you go under [on pick and rolls], he’ll knock down a couple of 3s in a game but once his shooting gets a little better and more accurate, the sky is the limit.

Morant proved this season that he has the potential to be an elite point guard. Like Redick mentioned, he did a tremendous job of getting his teammates involved and also had the ability to take over games late — he ranked sixth in fourth-quarter scoring among all players with 7.3 points.

He was certainly electric to watch this season and he figures to only get better the more he plays. The Grizzlies project to have a bright future and Morant is a key reason why.

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D’Angelo Russell feels bad for Michael Porter Jr. during the playoffs

Russell explained to J.J. Redick that he felt bad for Porter based on the way the Jazz kept targeting him on defense in the first round.

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Michael Porter Jr. started off the season restart as a key rotational player for the Denver Nuggets but was eventually removed from the starting lineup by head coach Michael Malone after Game 3 during their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

Porter began his stint at the Walt Disney World Resort on fire and was eventually named to the NBA All-Seeding Games Second Team after averaging 22.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and one steal in seven games played.

However, Porter has struggled at times on defense. The Jazz consistently targeted him on defense and would often put him into pick-and-roll situations against Donovan Mitchell. His downfall on defense likely played a role in his benching as Malone opted to add more defensive versatility in the lineup.

The defensive struggles by Porter was a topic of conversation between D’Angelo Russell and J.J. Redick. Russell appeared on the latest episode of Redick’s podcast and the two reminisced about the time when Russell and the Brooklyn Nets took advantage of Redick on defense in the playoffs last year, which reminded Russell of how the Jazz targeted Porter.

I think we ran the same play maybe like two or three times, you ended up fouling out and I was like, ‘Run that [expletive] again! He can’t play in this game!’ I just remember you walked to the bench and how you felt and I’m watching the playoffs this year and how they keep bringing Michael Porter Jr. into the ball screens. I just feel bad for him! I’m like, ‘Whatever I gotta do to not be this guy!’

To Porter’s credit, Malone later said that he handled the benching after Game 3 like a complete professional. Malone believes Porter has played well given that it’s his first taste of the playoffs and he has added a great source of energy off of the bench.

Porter eventually bounced back in Game 6 and, surprisingly, finished a game-high plus-21 on the court, despite finishing with only two points. He played a key role in the Nuggets coming back from a 3-1 series deficit and has managed to put the defensive struggles behind him.

Porter played mostly mop-up duty on Thursday in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers as the Nuggets lost, 120-97. Denver will look to get back on track in Game 2 and they will once again need Porter to bring that energy off of the bench.

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