Savage: Magic Value Redick's Championship Mentality
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By Dan Savage
July 16, 2010
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic continue to demonstrate that they are completely committed to winning an NBA championship.
Even with the team already in the luxury tax, Magic General Manager Otis Smith announced that he opted to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19 million offer to J.J. Redick on Friday, bringing the restricted free agent shooting guard back in the fold.
“It came down to me (thinking about) pedigree, DNA and things that most people don’t think about, guys who are winners,” Smith explained on Friday at RDV Sportsplex. “You want to keep as many of those guys around in your program as you possibly can. It was less about the money for me and more about keeping a guy we’ve had around our organization for the past four years.”
After years of struggling with his consistency, along with battling to find a solid place in Orlando’s rotation, Redick delivered a breakout performance in the Magic’s 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Boston Celtics. He continued to build on that effort during Orlando’s 2009-10 regular season campaign, averaging career highs in points (9.6 ppg.), assists (1.9 apg.) and minutes (22 mpg.).
Always known for his ability to shoot the ball, the 26 year old has now also developed into a serviceable defender against perimeter-oriented shooting guards. He flashed his ability to contain Ray Allen in that 2009 series and reinforced that perception throughout last season.
“He has improved year after year just because he is not afraid to put in the work,” Smith added. “He has done everything we have asked him to do and then some and things that we haven’t asked him to do, because that is just how he is built. He is a winner.”
And that’s the main reason Redick will once again sport a Magic uniform when the 2010-11 season tips off in October. His championship mentality is something that Orlando’s GM refuses to overlook.
“You can’t have enough guys on your roster that their core is just winning,” Smith explained. “Losing actually bothers them and he is one of those guys that just at his core he is a winner.”
Regardless of Redick’s value, the decision to match the Bulls’ offer was not an easy one. With the Magic already in the luxury tax, one that’s dollar-for-dollar, the shooting guard’s contract could cost Orlando as much as $14 million in the first year of the deal alone. This reason – coupled with the fact that the patient Smith always uses the maximum time available to weigh any offer – resulted in the Magic waiting until the final day to announce their plans in regards to Redick’s future.
“(Ownership) told me to do what I think is in the best interest of this team long term,” Smith said. “As I said last time I was sitting right here, I can’t ask for a better ownership group than we have in the DeVos family. We are trying to move an organization forward and continue our quest for an NBA title.”
Although Orlando flirted with the concept of re-signing the hardnosed Matt Barnes, in the end, their basketball operations staff thought the combination of Quentin Richardson and Redick would prove to be the better wing duo to fill out their roster. As a result, the Magic have not yet offered Barnes a contract and it’s expected that he will take his services elsewhere.
“We are trying to improve our talent in other ways so it came down to out of those three which two we would bring in,” Smith said. “Quentin is a little bit of a better skills player and has some the similar toughness that Matt has and then J.J offers (a lot of other things).”
July 16, 2010
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic continue to demonstrate that they are completely committed to winning an NBA championship.
Even with the team already in the luxury tax, Magic General Manager Otis Smith announced that he opted to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19 million offer to J.J. Redick on Friday, bringing the restricted free agent shooting guard back in the fold.
“It came down to me (thinking about) pedigree, DNA and things that most people don’t think about, guys who are winners,” Smith explained on Friday at RDV Sportsplex. “You want to keep as many of those guys around in your program as you possibly can. It was less about the money for me and more about keeping a guy we’ve had around our organization for the past four years.”
After years of struggling with his consistency, along with battling to find a solid place in Orlando’s rotation, Redick delivered a breakout performance in the Magic’s 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Boston Celtics. He continued to build on that effort during Orlando’s 2009-10 regular season campaign, averaging career highs in points (9.6 ppg.), assists (1.9 apg.) and minutes (22 mpg.).
Always known for his ability to shoot the ball, the 26 year old has now also developed into a serviceable defender against perimeter-oriented shooting guards. He flashed his ability to contain Ray Allen in that 2009 series and reinforced that perception throughout last season.
“He has improved year after year just because he is not afraid to put in the work,” Smith added. “He has done everything we have asked him to do and then some and things that we haven’t asked him to do, because that is just how he is built. He is a winner.”
And that’s the main reason Redick will once again sport a Magic uniform when the 2010-11 season tips off in October. His championship mentality is something that Orlando’s GM refuses to overlook.
“You can’t have enough guys on your roster that their core is just winning,” Smith explained. “Losing actually bothers them and he is one of those guys that just at his core he is a winner.”
Regardless of Redick’s value, the decision to match the Bulls’ offer was not an easy one. With the Magic already in the luxury tax, one that’s dollar-for-dollar, the shooting guard’s contract could cost Orlando as much as $14 million in the first year of the deal alone. This reason – coupled with the fact that the patient Smith always uses the maximum time available to weigh any offer – resulted in the Magic waiting until the final day to announce their plans in regards to Redick’s future.
“(Ownership) told me to do what I think is in the best interest of this team long term,” Smith said. “As I said last time I was sitting right here, I can’t ask for a better ownership group than we have in the DeVos family. We are trying to move an organization forward and continue our quest for an NBA title.”
Although Orlando flirted with the concept of re-signing the hardnosed Matt Barnes, in the end, their basketball operations staff thought the combination of Quentin Richardson and Redick would prove to be the better wing duo to fill out their roster. As a result, the Magic have not yet offered Barnes a contract and it’s expected that he will take his services elsewhere.
“We are trying to improve our talent in other ways so it came down to out of those three which two we would bring in,” Smith said. “Quentin is a little bit of a better skills player and has some the similar toughness that Matt has and then J.J offers (a lot of other things).”
