Redick ‘not tired,’ but he is latest to get forced rest
NEW ORLEANS — J.J. Redick got the tap on the shoulder this time, getting informed by Coach Doc Rivers and his basketball support staff that the 6-foot-4 guard wouldn’t be playing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night because of rest.
Redick said that he wants to “play every night,” but he also knew that Blake Griffin didn’t play Tuesday night at Brooklyn because of the same reason and that there was no need to complain about the time off.
Besides, Redick said, “Doc had already made the decision” to sit him against the Pelicans.
“I think if you just say to me, ‘Hey, you’re not playing tonight because you’re tired,’ that’s not a good reason. I’m not tired,” Redick said. “So, the reasoning — and for each guy it’s a little different, case by case — the reasoning, at least presented to me today, made sense. Doc had made his decision, I think, when he was having his conversation with Blake on Tuesday, it sounds like. This is not something that had anything to do with the last 24 hours.”
Like Griffin, Redick had a conversation with the Clippers’ support staff of Jasen Powell, the director of medical services and head athletic trainer, and Mark Simpson, the director of performance, about why the team was taking this course of action with the entire team this season.
Raymond Felton started in place of Redick, who is averaging 15.6 points per game on 49.1% shooting, 46.2% on three-pointers. Redick said he wasn’t given any gamemonitoring information.
“They didn’t give me that stuff,” Redick said. “It had more to do with looking at the schedule and sort of picking games that made sense for one guy to get a break here or there based on the upcoming schedule, not necessarily anything that already happened. In December, we have a tough month. I think we finish the month with seven games in 10 days. March is another month … where the travel schedule is tough. I think it’s a case-bycase basis, looking ahead and trying to figure out what makes sense for each guy.”
The most likely candidate to rest next is either Chris Paul or DeAndre Jordan, and it could be Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.
Etc.
The Clippers recalled rookie Diamond Stone on Friday from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA’s Development League.
Stone played in four games for the Warriors and averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17 minutes.