J.J. Redick found a home with the Philadelphia 76ers

Entering his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting guard J.J. Redick may be settling into the final destination of his solid NBA career.

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard J.J. Redick is like a fine wine: he just keeps getting better and better with age.

Redick delivered the game-winning score on a quick release 3-pointer off of a Joel Embiid mini-screen with 17 seconds in last night’s contest against the Orlando Magic at the Wells Fargo Center, one which point guard Ben Simmons exited early with back tightness.

Magic defender Terrence Ross recovered from Embiid’s little screen rather quickly and got a solid hand up in Redick’s face, but he was half a step too late. Redick got the shot off and the building exploded as the ball sailed through the net and Sixers play-by-play announcer Marc Zumoff let out an exuberant “YES!” that echoed through living rooms across the Philadelphia region and beyond.

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Jonathan Clay Redick (yep, that’s his actual name) enters his 13th NBA season and his second as the Sixers sharpshooter at the ripe age of 34 years. He may be a well-seasoned vet but he’s averaged just under 30 minutes per game over the past five seasons after injuries limited him to only 35 games in 2013-14 with the Clippers.

After last night’s 31 point showing, only to be outdone by Joel Embiid’s 32 in the nail-biting 116-115 finish in Philly, it is clear that Redick has plenty left in his tank to give. His role as 3-point specialist and the way he approaches the game could allow Redick to extend his career several more years as he flirts with the big 4-0. He’s good for 15 to 20 points per game and has one of the purest strokes in basketball history dating back to his All-American days with Coach K at Duke.

Despite his reputation strictly as a shooter, Redick’s toughness can only be described as that of our Lord and Ssavior. He may not be the most talented defender, and he might not have the same quickness and ability to jump as others. But he’s not afraid to stick his nose in and take it to the hole, even if that means results in an ancient D Wade pinning it to the backboard.

That type of mentality rubs off on the rest of the team.

Joel Embiid even had some very interesting praise for the two-guard in his postgame remarks, which you can read here as they are NSFW.

With age comes wisdom and Redick possesses just that. He’s an incredible leader and mentors to the young players with tremendous upside. As his teammate, you know Redick will have your back as he did when he chastised reporters for their borderline harassment in the pressure they were placing on then injured rookie Markelle Fultz as the 19-year old struggled to find confidence in his game.

Entering this season as part of a Philadelphia fan-created controversy for the fifth spot in the Sixers starting lineup, Redick continues to produce results while Fultz has struggled early.

It’s a wonder why the NBA pushes for top picks to have an immediate impact instead of taking the NFL’s route, opting to allow high-profile rookies to serve a backup role while they get acclimated and mature, but that’s another topic for another day.

Regardless of Redick’s success and Fultz’s struggles, the veteran continues to display unfaltering support for Fultz and his growth.

The Sixers have another surprise of a young prospect in Landry Shamet. The late first-round pick out of Wichita State is a young buck who caught fans by surprise with promising performances in the preseason, albeit the NBA preseason where defense is as easy to spot as the Loch Ness Monster.

Shamet exhibits a pure stroke comparable to that of Redick’s and he has noticeably superior athletic abilities. Under the seasoned wing of Redick, Shamet will be able to gobble up every last bit of knowledge and advice J.J. has to offer. Redick will help shape the rookie’s game in preparation for potentially filling those massive shoes once he decides to step away from the game.

But hopefully, that day doesn’t arrive anytime soon.

J.J. Redick is one of the most intelligent individuals in the game and is poised for a long and successful coaching career when his playing body gives out should he decide to go down the route. Until then, whether the Sixers decide to shake up the starting lineup or not, we’ll take upwards of 20 points and 50 percent from beyond the arc per game from the well versed guard who may choose to call Philly home for the remainder of his career.

Next. In hindsight, the Philadelphia 76ers should have traded for Tyreke Evans. dark

Settle in J.J., we’d like you to stay for good.