The Sixer Sense
Fansided

J.J. Redick continues to build on a career year

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: JJ Redick #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the game against the Miami Heat in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: JJ Redick #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the game against the Miami Heat in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Philadelphia 76ers’ 33-year-old sharpshooter continues to build on the best season of his career.

We don’t talk about J.J. Redick enough. That needs to change.

Averaging 17.1 points per game and shooting 42 percent from deep in the regular season, Redick was the Philadelphia 76ers‘ second-leading scorer. His shooting and off-ball movement unlocked a new dynamic in Brett Brown’s offense, while his leadership has shined on multiple occasions.

At 33 years of age, Redick put together the highest scoring mark of his career while emerging as one of the Sixers’ primary offensive focal points. He did all of that on a team that won 52 games and grabbed the third seed in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

More from Sixers News

With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons getting most of the credit for Philly’s success, Redick is almost flying under the radar. He doesn’t get talked about much, despite the fact that he’s having the best individual season of his career.

For years, people pondered how effective the Sixers would be if they added a true shooter to the perimeter. The success of an Embiid-Simmons core, before we ever saw them share the court, was always going to be tied to the shooting Bryan Colangelo placed around them. Redick was the embodiment of everything Philly needed in an off-guard.

And yet, now that he’s here and producing at an all-time level, we seldom hear his named mentioned in the national conversation. Even Marco Belinelli, who brings many of the same benefits off the bench, has drawn more interest in recent weeks.

Redick is (and will be) an important piece to the Sixers’ success moving forward. He was the team’s leading scorer in round one, building on his regular season numbers and averaging 20 points per game.

The Sixers’ offense relies heavily on pace, and with that comes the need for effective shooting. We saw what happens when the offense is forced out of rhythm and shots aren’t falling — that’s essentially how Miami hung around throughout that series.

When Redick is on, the Sixers’ offense is elevated to a new level. He remains one of the best individual shooters in the league, and that’s an insanely powerful weapon when paired next to a star of Ben Simmons’ ilk.

Next: 5 reasons Ben Simmons is already elite

If the Sixers are going to challenge teams like Cleveland or Toronto — which they very well might — Redick will be a big part of their ability to do so. It’s time to start acknowledging his production on a regular basis.