Grant and JJ -- Orlando-Detroit

[Uncle Drew]

The Orlando coach needs to go. Not using JJ until the last game in the series is like getting mugged and not fighting back with a 9mm in your pocket. Here's hoping next year will be better for Grant Hill and JJ.

[mgtr]

I think it is interesting that the first time JJ was in, he must not have been greenlighted to shoot, plus he must have been told not to run around through the defense (a la Bill Bradley) in the way he typically did. But, at the end of the game he took an impossible 3, which he created for himself, and made it. Too little, too late. Hopefully the coach will pay the price.

[Uncle Drew]

Am I crazy or has it seemed JJ has been playing decent defense when he has been in the game this year? That was one of the knocks against him in the draft. He wasn't supposed to be fast enough to keep up with NBA players. I'm not saying he's Gary Payton but he seems to at least get in the right defensive position. I guess he learned how to play D by dragging defensive players all over the court by his jersey.

[mgtr]

He is also likely to be smarter than the average league player.

[zingit]

Don't know if y'all saw this already, but Brian Schmitz at the Orlando Sentinel has a few notes on J.J.'s playing time on his blog and in his column:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/ (scroll)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...coll=orl-magic

I liked this bit:

Redick played almost 11 minutes, but only took two shots. His 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left cut a five-point Pistons' lead to 93-91.

"It felt good to see a shot go in. It had been about a week-and-a-half," he joked.

Coach Brian Hill said before Game 3 that Redick would finally play in the series, but he didn't use him. Redick, the club's No. 11 draft pick from Duke, said his brief appearance was still valuable.

"It's definitely more intense," he said of playoff basketball. "I think for me to get that kind of 11 minutes was a really good experience for me."

Sounds like he would definitely like more playing time but is keeping his chin up.

[Uncle Drew]

Thanks for the post Zing. Wish JJ could have at least gotten 11-13 minutes EACH game!