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J.J. Redick? Which side are you on?

Brooklyn Nets v Los Angeles Clippers Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

By the show of hands, how many of y’all saw Kevin O’Connor’s report about the Brooklyn Nets pursuing JJ Redick and said one of the following:

“WTF?”

“That’s not going to work.”

“Why would they do that after getting D’Angelo Russell?”

“Well, we need depth.”

“Well, we need veteran presence”

“Well, it would give us credibility”

“Makes sense. We need shooting!”

“Does Jeremy Lin get traded?”

“Is he helping Caris LeVert, Isaiah Whitehead, Spencer Dinwiddie and Archie Goodwin or nah?”

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Prepare, because it’s a real possibly, and has been brewing for some time.

In fact, Redick has worked out this summer at the Nets practice facility since the end of the 2016-17 campaign, a train ride away from Redick’s multi-million-dollar home in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn. We know he knows the way.

@loosechange1023

And a spy tells us that Redick and Nets player development director Adam Harrington spent a lot of time together at the Steve Nash Soccer Showdown in Manhattan 10 days ago.

There are two sides to every story, so let’s look at how the 11-year veteran would fit in Brooklyn, a possible (and maybe even likely) destination.

Or, would not fit…

First things first, here’s the current roster:

Backcourt/Wings (9): Russell, Lin, LeVert, Dinwiddie, Whitehead, Goodwin, Joe Harris, Sean Kilpatrick, Jeremy Senglin

Frontcourt (8): Timofey Mozgov, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jarrett Allen, Trevor Booker, Quincy Acy, Justin Hamilton, Andrew Nicholson, Jacob Wiley

Stash (1): Aleksandar Vezenkov

By July 1, that landscape could change with team options for Harris and Kilpatrick up for decision. Both occupy the same real estate as Redick.

Lin, Russell, Dinwiddie, Whitehead and Goodwin (who has been working out at point guard this summer) all run the point, and all could also play off the ball in a double point guard line-up. Just as the Nets asked Goodwin to work on his playmaking skills, they asked Dinwiddie to work on his shooting.

Redick, along with Harris, Kilpatrick and LeVert, occupy wing-space.

Say your starting line-up right now is as follows: Lin, Russell, LeVert, Hollis-Jefferson, Mozgov.

Early guys off the bench would be something like Booker, Whitehead, Dinwiddie, Acy and Goodwin. A couple names may change here and there, but you get the point.

Could the Nets use some depth?

Enter Mr. Redick.

As a pure shooter, the 33-year old is one of the best in the NBA, and has been for the duration of his well-traveled career. Over the last five seasons, three and a half with the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick has played his best basketball, becoming one of the signature role players across the league in one of the better teams out west, all while staying relatively healthy, playing 78, 35, 78, 75 and 78 games on a season by season basis.

Since being dealt to the Clippers on July 10, 2013, Redick has been an everyday starter at shooting guard, opening for 265 of his 266 Hollywood appearances, averaging 28.9 minutes per contest.

With the Clippers, he posted 15.8 points per game, which went as high as 16.4 and 16.3 in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively before dropping slightly to a still very respectable 15 points per this past season. It’s worth noting that with the LAC, Redick was an atomic bomber from deep, word to Brooklyn’s Inspectah Deck.

He has shot an amazing 44.0% from beyond the arc over four seasons, including a league-best 47.5% in 2015-16, sandwiched between two seasons where Redick stroked the orange at 43.7% and 42.9%, both of which were fifth best in the NBA.

In fact, for his entire 11-year NBA livelihood, Redick, who was kind of a bust in Orlando, has become an All-Time great shooter; hitting 41.5% from deep and nearly 45% from the field over the course of 690 games and 17,165 minutes. He’s scored 8,214 career points (11.9 per game), in large part due to a blistering 1,271 three’s made (in 3,064 attempts.)

Redick, by the way, has a lot of playoff experience, more than you may realize.

In all of his 11 seasons, Redick has been to the playoffs, playing at least one game in each trip, and to date has played in 88 playoff games, including 40 with the Clippers over the last four seasons. For what it’s worth, 44 were during his 2006-2012 Orlando Magic stint, and another four with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013.

Throughout the 88-game long sample size, the 2006 11th overall pick served himself well scoring about 10 points in nearly 25 minutes per game, shooting 36.6% from deep (closer to 39% with the Clippers.) His free throw shooting has also carried over from a career 88.8% mark in the regular season to 88.9% in the playoffs.

If you’ve ever watched a Clipper game, and many of them were televised in their recent Lob City run before Chris Paul was dealt to Houston on Wednesday morning you’ll see that Redick’s primary strength was coming off screens, catching and shooting mid-range and three-point jumpers, and has improved off the dribble over the years, adding more floaters and such.

Here’s an analysis of his shooting, not just his mechanics, but how he sets himself up.

So, he is a shooter’s shooter, a guy who knows the value of two or three points. And in Kenny Atkinson’s wide open motion offense, he could be huge.

A sample provided, his game five 26-point performance against Utah in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs this past season:

Also, as you’ll see in this 40-point showcase against the Houston Rockets, Chris Paul’s new team coincidentally, Redick doesn’t need to be straight-up or wide-open. This opening three, leaning towards his right where the pass comes from, is a microcosm of a recurring theme of made threes, and mind you, this is the season where he blazed his opposition for close to 50% three-point makes:

So does Brooklyn make sense? Yes and no.

If you’re for Redick, then you’re in favor of 15 points per game on consistent shooting, especially from deep, from the wing. With Lin, Russell and Redick, anyone can come off the bench, though I would say Redick could be the most likely sixth man with Lin and Russell starting together in the backcourt, even though Redick started with the Clippers.

Then again, all three have demonstrated the ability to produce as instant offense, which Lin did with the Charlotte Hornets two seasons ago, which Russell did last year, and Redick earlier in his career with Orlando and Milwaukee.

Then, the Nets would have Whitehead, Dinwiddie and Goodwin (at least) backing up the two guard spots, with LeVert being able to play the 1, 2, or 3. While the game is more positionless, all of these guys are PG’s and or wings who would be (at most) a three in a small ball line-up.

But it’s not just about what’s happening on the court. Redick would help mentor the youth movement. There’s no doubt that Redick would have his fair share of what to say in the locker room. He’d be one of the vets who commands immediate respect, especially from a younger squad like Brooklyn. Last year, the Nets added a trio of vets —Randy Foye, Greivis Vasquez and Luis Scola— late in free agency. He has a lot more left.

If you’re against Redick, you’re against using a sizeable amount of cap space, think at least three years and $45-$50 million or so, in a 33-year-old sharpshooter who is probably in ‘win-now’ mode, and could hinder the development of the young crop of guards the Nets would have behind him.

Courtney Lee received four years, $50 million from the New York Knicks last season, and isn’t nearly as good as Redick, even though he was 30 going on 31 at the time he signed across the bridge. Redick would absolutely command more per year, even if he is nearing his mid 30’s. And since this would likely be his last NBA contract, he will probably want a fourth year.

If Redick lands in Brooklyn, it won’t totally destroy the cap space, as the Nets could have about $10-15 million (or slightly more) less to play with, depending on their other moves . However, going forward, the Nets may need to move some things around and get creative to maintain flexibility, while having significant deals beyond this year in Mozgov and Redick and a not insignificant one in Andrew Nicholson.

Of course, we haven’t talked about what his interest would be in the Nets. Remember, that note that’s played in the post-season every year since he joined the league. That’s unlikely this season, barring some big, big deals. It’s not in the Nets front office plans. Not to mention Philly looks like a better fit. It’s only a quick Acela ride from Penn Station.

Obviously, we’ll know more in the next few days. But until then, we ask, What side are you on?