Duke legend signs three year, $19 million deal to stay with Orlando
It has been a memorable summer for Duke jersey retiree J.J. Redick. After wrapping up a career year with the Orlando Magic and playing a key role in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, Redick got married and headed to Europe for his honeymoon.
While in Rome, J.J. learned that the Chicago Bulls would be making him a lucrative offer worth $19 million over three years, with a front-loaded salary of around $8 million in the first year of the deal and a great opportunity to start on one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. The next night during a meal in Florence, the offer became official.
“I think the people at the restaurant must have thought I was crazy or I didn’t like my wife because I was literally getting up like every 10 minutes and going out to the square and pacing around. I pace when I talk on the phone,” said Redick. “We went back to the hotel and played the fax game. There was some stuff that was lost in translation with the hotel employees, but we got it done.”
From there, J.J. had to play the waiting game. As a restricted free agent, the Magic had about a week to decide if they wanted to match the Chicago offer and retain the shooting guard. At age 26, Redick had made himself into a valuable free agent with steady improvement and a tremendous work ethic. In 2009-10, he enjoyed a breakout year, averaging a career-high 9.6 PPG and 1.9 APG in 22 minutes per game. The Virginia native played all 82 games and led the Magic in 3-point shooting (111-of-274 for 40.5%). He has become a solid defender for Orlando and one of the team’s best decision-makers, with only 63 turnovers in 1,808 minutes.
The Orlando roster already had good backcourt depth and a high payroll, with a new deal for J.J. pushing the team further into the luxury tax. However, Orlando decided they wanted to keep Redick in a Magic uniform. “It was complicated but we started talking about what we are trying to do here and how we are trying to do it,” said Orlando GM Otis Smith. “It came down to me, (thinking about) pedigree, DNA and things that most people don’t think about, guys who are winners. 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 here.”
Smith continued, “He’s made himself a better player every year. I’ve watched him grow from the frustration of not playing his rookie year to basically pushing himself to play as much as he possibly can and get better every year. As I’ve said before, you can’t have enough guys on your roster that their core is just winning. Losing actually bothers them and he is one of those guys that just at his core he is a winner. So, you want to keep him around as long as you possibly can.”
J.J. is excited to remain in Orlando, saying he was “flattered” both by the Chicago offer and the Magic’s response. He is also ready to join forces with former Duke teammate Chris Duhon, who made the jump from the Knicks to Orlando this summer.
“Chris and I, we’ve kept in touch and we see each other in the summer a lot at Duke,” Redick said. “I have paid attention to what he does, I pay attention to what all the Duke guys do, especially the guys I’ve played with. I think it will be great. I really do. Chris and I had a natural chemistry on the court at Duke and played well together and I am looking forward to playing with him again.”
Redick earned a pair of ACC titles and reached the Final Four in two seasons teamed with Duhon at Duke, and his winning ways have continued in Orlando. “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,” said Smith. “He is a winner.”
Blue Devils making moves in free agent period, summer league
C-Booz Joins Deng in Windy City
After five seasons in Salt Lake City with the Utah Jazz, Carlos Boozer is now a Bull. The two-time NBA All-Star inked a five-year, $80 million deal with Chicago where he will team with former Devil Luol Deng. With a nucleus of Derrick Rose, Deng, Boozer and Joakim Noah, Chicago should be one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference next season. Rose is excited to pair up with Boozer and get that pick-and-roll game going, stating, “(Boozer) will definitely help us. He’s a guy who is always talking. You can tell he’s an outgoing guy. The organization finds a way to pick good guys. He has played in winning organizations all his life. We need a winner.”
Boozer made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, advancing past the first round three times and reaching the Western Conference finals in 2007. For his career, the Alaska native is averaging 17.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG. He won a national championship at Duke in 2001 and a gold medal in 2008 on Coach K’s U.S. National Team.
“We are confident that his skill set, toughness and leadership are all qualities that make him a great fit for the Bulls, and he will add a low-post element to our team that we have been searching for,” said Bulls GM Gar Forman. “Post players, with the skills that Carlos possesses, are at a premium in the NBA and we believe that we have landed one of the best big men in the NBA.”
A Third Blue Devil in Chicago?
Shortly after signing Carlos Boozer to a five-year deal, Chicago extended an offer sheet to restricted free agent J.J. Redick. Valued at $20 million over three years, the deal could make J.J. the starting shooting guard for a talented Bulls squad. The all-time Duke leading scorer shouldn’t call the movers in just yet though, because Orlando can match the deal and keep Redick in Orlando. After his career year this season where he averaged 9.6 PPG and shot 40% from downtown in 22 MPG, it sounds like the Magic want to keep J.J. around.
“I’m not worried about what J.J. might get from somebody,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “That would simply leave us with a decision, but the ball rests in our court. We’ll just have to make the decision when the time comes. Our intention is — and I know that from talking to [General Manager] Otis [Smith] — our intention is to match.”
If Redick did jump to the Windy City, a starting five of Rose-Redick-Deng-Boozer-Noah would be worth watching every night for Duke fans. Deng and Redick were teammates on Duke’s 2004 Final Four team and Boozer jumped to the league a year before J.J. arrived in Durham in 2002-03.
Blue Devil Magic in Orlando
Should J.J. remain in Orlando, he won’t be the only Blue Devil on the squad. Chris Duhon has signed a four-year, $15 million deal where he will serve as the backup PG to Jameer Nelson after a pair of seasons in NYC with the Knicks. Van Gundy offered high praise for Duhon, stating, “I think he’s capable of playing big minutes. I think with Jameer’s injury history that’s an important thing for us. I think we’re a team that needs to improve our passing, and I think Chris is one of the best passers out there, particularly on the pick-and-roll. … And then I think he’s a very capable defender.”
Maggette on the Move
Corey Maggette was sent from Golden State to Milwaukee in late June, where he will join a solid Bucks team that includes Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings and injured guard Michael Redd. Corey averaged 19.8 PPG last season, and has three years and approximately $31 million left on his contract. A standout freshman at Duke in 1999, Maggette posted the league’s highest scoring average last season for anyone who played fewer than 30 minutes a game.
Blue Devils in the NBA in 2010-11
As many as 17 former Duke players could suit up for NBA teams this fall, with 12 Blue Devils holding contracts or contract offers, and four hoping to ink deals before the season gets rolling in October.
Shane Battier: $7,354,500 (Houston)
Carlos Boozer: $13,000,000+ (estimated – Chicago)
Elton Brand: $15,959,099 (Philly)
Luol Deng: $11,355,850 (Chicago)
Chris Duhon: $3,500,000 (estimated – Orlando)
Mike Dunleavy: $10,561,984 (Indiana)
Gerald Henderson: $2,103,840 (Charlotte)
Grant Hill: $3,324,000 (Phoenix)
Dahntay Jones: $2,500,000 (Indiana)
Corey Maggette: $9,600,000 (Milwaukee)
Josh McRoberts: $885,120 (Indiana)
J.J. Redick: $6,000,000 (estimated – Chicago or Orlando)
Free Agents: Shelden Williams (TBD), Shavlik Randolph (Miami summer league), Jon Scheyer (Miami summer league), Brian Zoubek (New Jersey summer league), DeMarcus Nelson (Milwaukee)
NBA Summer League Update
Five Blue Devils are involved in NBA summer league action, with Orlando games recently wrapping up and games in Las Vegas now underway…
*Gerald Henderson: In four summer league games in Orlando, G averaged 14.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.8 APG, winning three of his four games. He finished his summer campaign by connecting on a game-winning layup at the buzzer to push Charlotte past Philly on July 8th. The 2009 Duke All-American hopes to take on an expanded role this season with the Bobcats, and his summer performance should help.
*Josh McRoberts: In three summer league games in Orlando, Josh averaged 14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.7 APG and the Pacers posted a 2-1 record. McRoberts’ best game came on July 7th when he scored 21 points (5-6 FG, 10-10 FG), dished out four assists and grabbed three boards in a win over Utah. McRoberts found his way into the Pacer rotation towards the second half of last season and hopes to provide key minutes for Indiana this year.
*Brian Zoubek: Zoubs made five starts for the NJ Nets summer league squad in Orlando and Duke fans won’t be surprised to hear that he rebounded well and didn’t take a ton of shots. The 2010 national champion averaged 3.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG to help New Jersey to a 3-2 record. Zoubs hopes to make the Nets squad and provide the team with a strong presence as a rebounder, screener and defender.
*Shavlik Randolph: Shav got the start for Miami in the Heat’s first summer league game last night in Vegas and scored 18 points while hauling in six boards. Randolph was added to the Miami roster late last season and hopes to make the squad this year. With the Heat clearing salary space to sign Wade, Bosh and LeBron, the team only has one other player currently signed for 2010-11 in addition to the 2008 U.S. National Team teammates.
*Jon Scheyer: Jon joins Shav on the Heat summer league team and the 2010 national champ didn’t surprise Duke fans when he hit the decisive bucket in his first game last night (video below). Scheyer scored three of his 11 points in the game with Miami trailing by one with 39 seconds left, and Miami ultimately won 77-72. The Illinois native added five boards and three assists in 29 minutes of action. Like Randolph, Jon hopes to make the Heat roster and is in a good position because the squad needs shooters and players who won’t break the bank.
*DeMarcus Nelson: DeMarcus is playing with the Milwaukee Bucks summer league squad, hoping to land a roster spot after playing in Italy in addition to an NBA stint with Golden State.
Grant Hill wins NBA Sportsmanship Award for Third Time, Advances in Playoffs
Grant’s Defense Changes Series for Suns
Versatile is a word that has been used so often to describe Duke forwards over the years that it’s become almost reflexive when talking about them. You throw it into the description without even thinking about it because, well, that’s what they ARE… versatile. Sometimes it’s because they score in so many different ways. Sometimes it’s because they can play different positions on the court. Sometimes it’s because they play on both ends so well. Sometimes it’s because they can adjust their game to fill whatever role the team needs. Sometimes it’s because they always find a way to be productive in any situation. And sometimes, like with Grant Hill, it’s ALL those things.
This story from ESPN chronicles Grant’s unbelievable ability to remake himself as a player in the wake of the multiple medical setbacks that robbed the former All-NBA star of several years of playing in his prime. This article, also from ESPN, describes how Hill turned the Suns’ NBA Playoff series with the Trailblazers around by asking to defend Portland point guard Andre Miller after Miller exploded for 31 points to beat Phoenix in the first game of the series. With Grant guarding him, Miller went from dominating the game in Game 1 to averaging 12.6 points on .350 shooting from the field the rest of the series. After the defensive adjustment, the Suns won four of the next five games to advance to the second round of the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs. Hill’s defensive dominance wasn’t without some highlights, either. The veteran forward proved that he still has enough athleticism to hang with the young kids with this spectacular block at the end of the second half in Game 6. (Be sure to watch the interview at the end of the clip as well.)
Grant was also honored by his NBA peers his past week, winning the Joe Dumars NBA Sportsmanship Award, voted on by fellow NBA players, for the second time in three years and third time overall. In addition, this is the fifth year out of the last six that a Duke player has taken the honor. Elton Brand won it in 2006 and Luol Deng in 2007.
Boozer Dominant Against Nuggets
It’s impossible to pick out a “most impressive game” from Carlos Boozer in the six-game Round 1 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. With two Utah frontcourt starters sitting out the series with injuries, Carlos picked up the slack and then some, averaging 22.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 58.3% from the field. Boozer scored from all over the floor, pouring in jumpers and powering up dunks and layups around the basket with equal success. The bruising forward had 31 points and 13 rebounds in the pivotal Game 4 that gave the Jazz a commanding 3-1 series lead, 25 points and 16 rebounds in the Game 5 loss at Denver, and 22 points and 20 rebounds in the series clinching Game 6 win. With star point guard Deron Williams also taking over the series at times, it looks as though Utah has found the reincarnation of the Stockton-Malone combo that led the Jazz to so much success a decade ago. Boozer and Co. face a tough task though, trailing 2-0 in their second-round series with the defending-champion Lakers.
Redick/Williams Advance in East
All four second-round NBA Playoff series feature Blue Devils in the lineups. In addition to the Western Conference series mentioned above, two former Duke teammates advanced in their Eastern Conference series as well. JJ Redick and the Magic had the easiest time in the first round, sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats with relative ease. The Magic moved on to face the Atlanta Hawks in Round 2, and proceeded to blast the Hawks 114-71 in Game 1. On the other side of the bracket, Shelden Williams and the Celtics took down the Miami Heat in five games. While Shelden saw limited time during the series, his defensive ability may earn him increased minutes as Boston moves on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The series is even at a game apiece heading into Game 3 in Boston.
Deng/Bulls Fall to Cavs in Round 1
The young Chicago Bulls had an impressive finish to the regular season which allowed them to sneak into the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. However, their Playoff experience was short lived, as they fell to Danny Ferry’s Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Luol Deng had a strong series, defending MVP Lebron James throughout while still managing to produce on the offensive end. Deng finished the series averaging 18.8 points, 5.0 rebounds. 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Quote of the Week
“Grant is phenomenal. He does it all. A great teammate, an intelligent person and player, he’s a pleasure to play with and be around, and his athleticism, skill level, intelligence for the game, his toughness … what he brings to the table as a total package is phenomenal. And that’s for any age. It’s not like ‘wow, he’s doing pretty well for 37.’ He’s doing well for 27.”
Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash on teammate Grant Hill
Seven Devils enter playoffs as regular-season wraps up
Jazz Just Miss Home Court Advantage
Perhaps no team in the NBA had a better second half of the season than the Utah Jazz, and Carlos Boozer is a big reason why. After a dominant February that saw the bruising forward average 21.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, Boozer followed that up with 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in March. Since January 9th, the Jazz won 34 of 46 games and missed the #2 seed in the incredibly competitive Western Conference by just two games. In the final game of the regular season, the Jazz had a chance to lock in the #3 seed, but with Boozer sidelined with a strained oblique muscle, Utah fell to fellow Blue Devil Grant Hill and the Phoenix Suns, leaving them tied atop the Pacific division with Denver and slotted in the #5 spot for the Western Conference playoffs. They open up the 2010 NBA Postseason at Denver on Saturday night. Boozer is currently listed as a game-time decision.
Hill/Suns Finish Strong
Despite Utah’s strong performance in the second half of the season, it was the Phoenix Suns that managed to top them in the end to grab the #3 seed in the NBA Playoffs. After playing all 82 games for the first time in his career last season, Grant Hill missed duplicating that feat this season by one game, as the versatile forward started every game for the Suns except a January 26th tilt against the Bobcats. Thanks to Grant, the Suns were able to keep up their high level of play in the latter half of the season despite losing their backup point guard for all of February and half of March, as Hill often backed up Steve Nash as the floor general during that stretch. The Suns finished the season on a 14-2 tear and head into the playoffs as one of the NBA’s hottest teams. They host the Portland Trailblazers Sunday night in the first game of what they hope will be a long postseason run.
McRoberts Solidly in Pacers Rotation
The opportunities for Josh McRoberts were few and far between in his first two seasons in the NBA, but this season in Indiana, the athletic forward has gradually worked his way into more and more playing time. Thanks to strong recent performances, including 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in a win over Washington, and 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals in a win over Houston, McRoberts has become a regular part of the Pacers’ rotation, playing major minutes in each of Indiana’s last 11 games to finish the season. In addition to putting up solid numbers across the stat sheet, Josh has also made some highlight reels, including NBA.com’s Dunk of the Night and Dish of the Night (to fellow Blue Devil Mike Dunleavy) on April 4th against the Rockets.
Henderson Makes an Impression
McRoberts isn’t the only recent Blue Devil addition to the league making some spectacular plays. Gerald Henderson hasn’t seen a lot of playing time during the course of the season for the playoff-bound Bobcats, but in his first extended playing time of the year against the Nets on April 12th, Gerald put on a show. The athletic wing scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and wowed the crowd with back-to-back spectacular plays, including NBA.com’s Dunk of the Night, followed by this terrific up-and-under move. The Bobcats have earned their first trip to the NBA Playoffs in franchise history this season, and will face off with the Orlando Magic in the first round.
Deng’s Return Powers Bulls to Playoffs
Luol Deng is back in the Bulls lineup and ready for a playoff run. That Chicago could even make the playoffs was looking like a long shot just a few weeks ago. With Deng missing 11 straight games in March with a calf injury and playing injured for several others, the Bulls suffered through a ten-game losing streak and looked like they were out of the postseason picture for sure. However, the versatile forward’s return came just in time, as he reappeared for the club’s final eight games. Of those, the Bulls won six, including victories over playoff teams Boston, Cleveland (who they match up with in the first round), and Charlotte. They also secured a pivotal victory over Toronto, who was fighting them for the final playoff spot.
During that decisive run, Lu came up huge numerous times, but perhaps no performance was bigger than his 22 points and 10 rebounds in a one-point victory over first place Cleveland on April 8th. Now, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder looks to continue his strong play into the postseason, as Chicago matches up with Danny Ferry’s Cavaliers starting Saturday afternoon.
Duhon Again Leading Knicks
Following the February NBA trade deadline, Chris Duhon saw his playing time for the New York Knicks take a serious hit. The Knicks’ record-holder for assists in a single game fell out of the rotation as the team appeared to be going in another direction in preparation for the 2010 free agency period. However, as has always been the case, Chris kept working and found himself back in the starting lineup for the latter part of the season. For the month of April, the steady floor general averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 assists per game against only 1.8 turnovers.
J.J. Entering Playoffs on Hot Streak
J.J. Redick finished the month of March off in style, leading the Magic to a win over the Denver Nuggets with a 23-point performance. His hot shooting didn’t stop there, as Redick scored in double-figures in six of eight games in April, averaging 11.5 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field and a fantastic 47.8% from long range. The savvy guard also added 2.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists with only 1.0 turnovers per game in 22.8 minutes per contest off the Orlando bench. For the regular season, J.J. finished as the Magic’s fifth-leading scorer at 9.6 points per game, leading three-point shooter at 40.5%, and third in A:TO ratio at 2.51-to-1. Redick enters the playoffs as the Magic’s top scoring threat off the bench. They host the Bobcats in the first round starting Saturday.
Battier Injury Grounds Rockets
In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, losing your best defensive player and team leader for the last 14 games of the season usually doesn’t turn out well for your playoff hopes. Such was the case for the Houston Rockets, who lost Shane Battier to a hyperextended knee for almost a month to end the season. They subsequently lost eight of their final 14 games after having won five of six prior to Battier’s injury. The Rockets finished 9th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for the first time since Shane has been with the team. In fact, this will mark Battier’s first time missing the playoffs in his last seven NBA seasons. The last time he sat out the postseason was in his second year in the league with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz haven’t seen the postseason since Battier was traded to Houston.
Other Playoff Notes
*Shelden Williams and the Boston Celtics finished the regular season as the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the Miami Heat in their first-round series starting Saturday night.
*Speaking of the Heat, Shavlik Randolph was added to the Heat roster in early April and will likely be active for the Playoffs. Shav had 8 points and 6 rebounds in 23 minutes Wednesday night against the Nets. The Blue Devils wrapped up the regular season with 14 former players in the league, tied with UCLA for tops amongst all college alumni groups.
Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Final Standings
The Blue Devil NBA Fantasy team had a very strong season, leading the standings for much of the season before slipping to second place down the stretch due to injuries. When fully healthy, the Duke squad stayed well ahead of the pack. Still, finishing second in a 10-team field as strong as this one is quite an accomplishment… perhaps not on par with winning a fourth National Championship, but pretty good nonetheless.
1. UCLA Bruins: 23,490.7
2. Duke Blue Devils: 20,787.6
3. Florida Gators: 17,876.4
4. UConn Huskies: 17,819.3
5. North Carolina Tar Heels: 16,631.3
6. Arizona Wildcats: 15,880.4
7. Kansas Jayhawks: 11,528.1
8. Texas Longhorns: 10,845.0
9. Kentucky Wilcats: 9452.4
10. Memphis Tigers: 8071.7
Scoring summary: one point for each point scored, 1.5 point for each rebound, two points for each assist, steal or block, 0.5 points for each 3-pointer made, and -1.2 points for each turnover. Field-goal percentage is included by subtracting 0.2 points for each field goal attempt and adding 0.5 points for each field goal made, which would mean you break even by shooting 40% from the field.
Quote of the Week
“Gerald finally got a chance to play and prove how dumb his coach is.”
Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown, after Henderson’s strong performance April 12th vs. the Nets
Gerald Henderson takes on Bobcats Owner Michael Jordan in HORSE game
Looking to take a hands-on approach as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan challenged Gerald Henderson to a game of HORSE after the Bobcats shoot-around on Monday. G was up for the challenge, defeating Jordan in a pair of games despite frequent trash talking from the UNC alum to the Blue Devil NBA rookie.
Henderson said afterward, “He didn’t want to go a third game. I don’t know, maybe he’s going to get back in the gym and get off the golf course.” The gym might be a good choice for MJ if he plans to challenge G in future athletic contests, as the 2009 Duke All-American would have a good shot against Jordan on the links as well! As we’ve seen, G has a nice golf game too.
Here is video of G and MJ playing HORSE from Bobcats.com:
And here is G’s reaction after defeating Jordan:
