Los Angeles Clippers: J.J. Redick Nears Return

The Clippers have had their fair share of injuries this season, all of which have affected the team in one way or another. The team, however, has a reason to smile as they will be getting sharp-shooter J.J. Redick back in the lineup sooner than they thought. It has been about three weeks since expert marksman J.J. Redick was diagnosed with a broken hand that came with six-to-eight week timetable for return, but now, there is a ray of sunshine with regard to his prospects. Redick is hoping to return Jan. 15, which would place him on the low end of the stated timetable, and that is a big win for the Clippers. Since Redick went down on Nov. 29, the team is just 4-4 (versus 12-5 with him in the lineup), and their offensive spacing simply hasn’t been the same without him on the court with Chris Paul.

Although nobody on the Clippers has been lighting it up from beyond the arc, the return of J.J. Redick will definitely be welcomed. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

While the Clippers made serious moves this offseason to surround Chris Paul and Co. with sharp shooters, they have not been getting the production that had been hoped for. They made a concerted effort to acquire not only J.J. Redick, but Jared Dudley to complement as well. Unfortunately, the plan to combine a run-and-gun with proficient 3-point shooters has not worked out so well for the Clippers. LA is shooting just 32.9 percent from 3-point land which ranks 26th in the league and for all the fuss made about Redick being able to lead the way for this group of shooters, he was only shooting 35.9 percent before he suffered his injury, which is almost 5 percent below is career average. No one is lighting it up from beyond the arc for the Clippers. Having said that, the Clippers will surely welcome back their best shooter with open arms. J.J. Redick back in the lineup allows the Clippers to better space the floor and merely his presence forces defenders to pay special attention to him, which frees up one of the other scorers on the court. Once Redick returns, the Clippers will be able to go back to their usual rotations. This should strengthen both the bench and the starting lineup, as they can build chemistry and consistency. Redick is essential for the Clippers’ quest to gain home-court in the ever-so competitive Western Conference. Although Redick has not been shooting his best, he is still direly necessary to have on the floor. The only question is to what extent, if at all, will his injury affect his shooting ability. We’ll just have to wait and see.