Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – There’s a residual effect to covering J.J. Redick beyond the frustration associated with watching the sharpshooter drill long-range shot after long-range shot.
As good as Redick’s been this year offensively, on pace to log the highest single-season 3-point field goal percentage of any player in Clippers history, his numbers at the other end of the court are just as astounding.
Not only is Redick shooting better than 48 percent from the field and from 3-point range, but he entered Saturday’s game against the Kings trailing only LeBron James defensively in points allowed per possession among players with at least 150 defensive possessions.
Head coach Doc Rivers has a theory about Redick’s impressive defensive numbers.
“I’ve always thought he was a better defender (than people thought), but I think his offense is part of that, too,” Rivers said. “If you’re guarding J.J. for 40 minutes, your offense is not going to be the same, I just think, unless you’re in better shape than
J.J., which I don’t if that guy actually lives, I think that’s part of it.”
Before dropping 22 points on the Kings, Sacramento head coach George Karl said he’s not sure there’s another offensive two guard in basketball more difficult to cover, the way Redick moves around the many screens the Clippers set for him.
It’s an exhausting procedure, and if only one player tries to combat Redick’s movement, it can leave that player exhausted at the other end. Not to mention, Karl said Redick’s underrated defensively, as is.
“I think there’s a wear and tear factor in covering a guy defensively,” Karl said. “But we’re not going to cover him with one guy tonight. We’re going to be covering him with two, three, four guys.”
That’s the kind of impact Redick has on a defense, and often multiple players are necessary if a team doesn’t want to wear out its own shooting guard at the other end.
James’ defensive lead on the rest of his competition is staggering, allowing just .618 points per possession entering Saturday. The next man behind him, though, is Redick, who came into Saturday’s game allowing just .679 points per possession.
He’s particularly been effective guarding what he knows best.
Redick entered the matchup allowing just .306 points per possessions off screens, first in the league in the category and three times fewer than the league average.
“I think J.J.’s a really underrated defender,” said Austin Rivers. “When I’m in the game, I usually guard the best player…But if I’m not in and it’s a smaller guy, J.J. guards him. If he’s bigger, Luc (Mbah a Moute) guards him, but that’s the trust we have in him.”