4th: J.J. Redick
The veteran presence and leadership of Paul Pierce made the call between him and J.J. Redick a tricky one. The former has more to offer in terms of his attributes off the floor that can provide some mental toughness to the Clippers, meanwhile Redick will carry a greater load through the regular season to help position L.A. near the top of the Western Conference playoff picture.
Which is why Redick has to come first. He recorded a career high 16.4 points on a career best 47.7 percent shooting. Oh, and he had yet another career high with his three point percentage of 43.7. His movement around the perimeter and deadly shooting just adds so much to the Clippers’ offense alongside the play of Griffin in the post, not to mention Redick is an underrated defender as well.
To illustrate some of the main reasons why he’s so difficult to defend, here’s a brief extract from a recent column of mine to show some of the numbers behind is elite shooting:
"When it comes to making the most of easy catch and shoot opportunities, Redick is just a fraction away from being the best in the league. He recorded 8 catch and shoot points per game last season — just 0.5 less than first place Atlanta Hawks All-Star, Kyle Korver… Last season, he made 47.4 percent of his pull-ups, which came largely from mid-range or from three point bombs in transition. Although, if Redick looks to create his own shot after surveying his options from the perimeter, his accuracy is still impeccable."
He’s had such success in a big role with the Clippers for that reason. Redick’s shooting is just so hard to stop, and he’s a fundamental reason as to why they led the league in offensive efficiency last year.
Next: The Big 3