Despite signing onto a one-year deal, Philadelphia 76ers guard J.J. Redick‘s game should allow him to contribute at a high level throughout the aging process.
J.J. Redick marked a change in motive for the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s their first big free agency signing since The Process got underway, giving the Sixers somebody who can contribute to a competitive roster while guiding the younger players in the locker room.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz will still be the focal points of Brett Brown’s offense, but Redick has the ability to up the effectiveness of virtually everybody placed around him. He doesn’t create much for others, but the spacing a shooter of his caliber provides is of immense value in today’s league.
That holds especially true for the Sixers, whose offense is already constructed in a manner that jibes well with Redick’s best attributes, as Brown utilizes a bevy of screens, dribble handoffs and pick-and-rolls to free up space and open up shooters or driving lanes.
Redick thrives in all of those scenarios. He’s a stellar player off the ball, showing excellent instincts as a cutter while boasting obvious prowess as a spot-up shooter. He combines that with a decent game off the dribble as well. He won’t create his own shot much, but can thrive in a shorter mid-range game when peeling around handoffs.
In short, Redick is everything Philadelphia lacked last season. They had the system set up, as well as a number of players who were willing to commit to it. But seldom was their execution high enough, while their 3-point attempts came in a volume that was inevitably unsustainable given the personnel on the roster.
Redick gives them somebody who can remain proficient in a high-volume role as a shooter, while also opening up more driving lanes and playmaking opportunities for Simmons and Fultz — who the Sixers didn’t have at the helm last season.
There’s also an added benefit to Redick’s current style: longevity. Even at 33 years of age, Redick’s shot should allow him to contribute for at least another four or five seasons — if not more.
He signed a one-year deal with Philly last year, which allows the Sixers to avoid long term commitment if they dub it unnecessary. Redick’s impact in their rotation, however, should be worth an extension long term, while Redick himself stated that his goal was to finish out his career in a Sixers uniform.
Redick doesn’t rely much on athleticism, which means fewer areas of his game will deteriorate in time. There’s a base level of athleticism that you need to survive in the NBA — meaning he obviously can’t play forever — but relying on his shot and instincts, rather than physical prowess, should extend his career longer than most.
We’ll see a gradual decline in defensive ability, while his mid-range and short game won’t be quite as effective as his legs die down. But shooting, as long as he has enough juice to elevate and follow through, should be a viable method of contributing until he decides to call it quits.
Next: Top 10 Sixers players entering 2017-18 (Part 2)
We should see Redick in Philadelphia beyond this season.