Magic Exit Interviews: J.J. Redick
J.J. Redick
On a good season vs. great season:
“I think that’s right. I think it was a very good season, it wasn’t great. There is only one team that can have a great season unfortunately. I think we are all very disappointed. For me, the shock still hasn’t worn off. I woke up yesterday morning and looked at my clock and was like ‘alright, what time do I have to be at practice.’ I didn’t expect this group to be done playing.”
On retrospective changes to the Boston series:
“It’s funny because our practices and our preparation before Games 1 and 2 and before Game 3 were great. I don’t know how we would change our approach; we just have to play better. You have to play harder. It’s collectively. When things go wrong, everyone is quick to point fingers, everyone kind of runs away from blame, but I think every player and every coach should shoulder the same blame. It’s on everybody to get the job done. Basketball is a team sport.”
On effort being a factor:
“You know why it’s shocking, it’s not shocking because we didn’t play hard and that’s who we were and we relied on talent; it’s shocking because we played hard all season. We talked about that as a group from January on. That’s the reason we were good; because we prepared and we played hard, and we had a lot of talent, which made us a championship-caliber team. That was shocking because that’s not who we were. I read some of Stan’s quotes after the series and I kind of have to agree with him. At some point you have to give Boston some credit. They took Cleveland out of their game, they took us out of our game. I saw one of Doc’s quotes that said their starters haven’t lost a series together, so they are a good team.”
On watching The Finals:
“No, I won’t watch a single game. I’ve never been able to do that my entire life. Once my season’s over, I can’t watch. Unless I’m in a championship or The Finals, I won’t watch.”
On the importance of keeping team together:
“I think it’s important. One of the things that kind of happens when you don’t win a championship, everybody is quick to say what kind of changes you can make, but this team still has a window. And it has a window to win a championship and the core of our team is pretty young and can still get the job done. Tweaks, I think that’s what needs to be done and there obviously needs to be a great sense of urgency when you get to the Conference Finals.”
On possibly playing your last game for the Magic:
“I haven’t even thought about that until you just said it. I’m going to work out here the rest of the month, get married, go on my honeymoon and hopefully when I get back from my honeymoon I will come back here and start working out again. That’s what I hope.”
On playing a bigger role this season:
“For anyone that has watched me play, you probably know the answer to that. Winning is the most important thing to me. I would rather have this role on a winning team with a great organization in a great city than anything else. In my book there is no substitute for winning.”
On his free agent future:
“I hope I’m back here. This is where I want to be. Obviously there are a lot of factors, especially being a restricted free agent. So I don’t really know what to expect in July, but we will see what happens.”
On his yearly improvements:
“I think I have gotten better every year. I am a worker. I’m not someone who is going to sign a long deal and then take the rest of the summer off. I’m getting back from my honeymoon July 17; I will be in the gym July 18 trying to get better for next year. I’m just a too competitive. I want to get better. I want to help a team win. I honestly think that has been the most gratifying thing for me the last two years. It’s not been like ‘I got to play or I scored in double figures x amount of times.’ For me it’s helping a team win, contributing to a team winning. Being a part of that gives me the warm fuzzy feelings inside.”
On being a starter:
“I wouldn’t say starting is overrated or anything like that. You look at a guy like Manu Ginobili, I would say that he would probably say that starting is overrated. For some guys it is, for some guys it isn’t. For me, it’s all about who finishes games and who’s in there when it’s winning time.”
On the window of opportunity to win a title:
“I think there is absolutely a sense to get it done. Otis and Stan and Bob and the DeVos family will all discuss things over the next month or so and they will get it done. Otis has gotten things done here. He has been great for this organization and I wouldn’t expect anything different this summer.”
On a good season vs. great season:
“I think that’s right. I think it was a very good season, it wasn’t great. There is only one team that can have a great season unfortunately. I think we are all very disappointed. For me, the shock still hasn’t worn off. I woke up yesterday morning and looked at my clock and was like ‘alright, what time do I have to be at practice.’ I didn’t expect this group to be done playing.”
On retrospective changes to the Boston series:
“It’s funny because our practices and our preparation before Games 1 and 2 and before Game 3 were great. I don’t know how we would change our approach; we just have to play better. You have to play harder. It’s collectively. When things go wrong, everyone is quick to point fingers, everyone kind of runs away from blame, but I think every player and every coach should shoulder the same blame. It’s on everybody to get the job done. Basketball is a team sport.”
On effort being a factor:
“You know why it’s shocking, it’s not shocking because we didn’t play hard and that’s who we were and we relied on talent; it’s shocking because we played hard all season. We talked about that as a group from January on. That’s the reason we were good; because we prepared and we played hard, and we had a lot of talent, which made us a championship-caliber team. That was shocking because that’s not who we were. I read some of Stan’s quotes after the series and I kind of have to agree with him. At some point you have to give Boston some credit. They took Cleveland out of their game, they took us out of our game. I saw one of Doc’s quotes that said their starters haven’t lost a series together, so they are a good team.”
On watching The Finals:
“No, I won’t watch a single game. I’ve never been able to do that my entire life. Once my season’s over, I can’t watch. Unless I’m in a championship or The Finals, I won’t watch.”
On the importance of keeping team together:
“I think it’s important. One of the things that kind of happens when you don’t win a championship, everybody is quick to say what kind of changes you can make, but this team still has a window. And it has a window to win a championship and the core of our team is pretty young and can still get the job done. Tweaks, I think that’s what needs to be done and there obviously needs to be a great sense of urgency when you get to the Conference Finals.”
On possibly playing your last game for the Magic:
“I haven’t even thought about that until you just said it. I’m going to work out here the rest of the month, get married, go on my honeymoon and hopefully when I get back from my honeymoon I will come back here and start working out again. That’s what I hope.”
On playing a bigger role this season:
“For anyone that has watched me play, you probably know the answer to that. Winning is the most important thing to me. I would rather have this role on a winning team with a great organization in a great city than anything else. In my book there is no substitute for winning.”
On his free agent future:
“I hope I’m back here. This is where I want to be. Obviously there are a lot of factors, especially being a restricted free agent. So I don’t really know what to expect in July, but we will see what happens.”
On his yearly improvements:
“I think I have gotten better every year. I am a worker. I’m not someone who is going to sign a long deal and then take the rest of the summer off. I’m getting back from my honeymoon July 17; I will be in the gym July 18 trying to get better for next year. I’m just a too competitive. I want to get better. I want to help a team win. I honestly think that has been the most gratifying thing for me the last two years. It’s not been like ‘I got to play or I scored in double figures x amount of times.’ For me it’s helping a team win, contributing to a team winning. Being a part of that gives me the warm fuzzy feelings inside.”
On being a starter:
“I wouldn’t say starting is overrated or anything like that. You look at a guy like Manu Ginobili, I would say that he would probably say that starting is overrated. For some guys it is, for some guys it isn’t. For me, it’s all about who finishes games and who’s in there when it’s winning time.”
On the window of opportunity to win a title:
“I think there is absolutely a sense to get it done. Otis and Stan and Bob and the DeVos family will all discuss things over the next month or so and they will get it done. Otis has gotten things done here. He has been great for this organization and I wouldn’t expect anything different this summer.”
