By John Denton – Orlandomagic.com

Redick’s Road to Success

By John Denton – Orlandomagic.com
November 8, 2009

ORLANDO – When J.J. Redick was awarded a WWE-style title belt on Saturday as the winner of the Orlando Magic’s ``Iron Man’’ award, he jokingly ranked it alongside other career highlights such as playing in the NBA Finals and being mentioned in a Lil’ Wayne rap song.

Just prior to training camp, each Magic player was tested in eight different categories ranging from bench press, vertical leap, 3-minute run, agility and three-quarter-court sprints.

No one was more surprised by the ultimate winner than Redick himself. He laughed at the assessment that he is the Magic’s best pure athlete, insisting instead that he won because ``I’ve always been good at standardized tests.’’

But deep down, the ``Iron Man’’ accomplishment was a tremendous one for Redick because it shows just how far he has progressed as an NBA player. Doing this would have never been possible four years ago when he was fresh out of Duke, new as a NBA player and maybe not quite ready to be a steady contributor.

But Redick has progressed to the point now where he is one of the Magic’s most trusted players in coach Stan Van Gundy’s eyes. It’s why Redick has filled in admirably for the injured Vince Carter, and why he’ll likely start again Sunday when the Magic face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Redick has come a long way, and he knows it.

``I really think a big part of having success is being in the right spot at the right time. But you have to be ready for it,’’ Redick said. ``Maybe I wasn’t ready to do this sort of thing last year or a couple of years ago. Back then I probably couldn’t have stepped in and played a lot. It’s a testament to the coaching staff who has helped me improve.’’

And improve Redick has, so much so that there’s little consternation from Magic fans now even with Carter struggling to overcome a nagging ankle sprain. Redick was phenomenal in his first game in relief of Carter with a career-best 27 points against Toronto and he’s hit double figures in scoring in five of the Magic’s six games this season.

At 14.7 points per game, Redick ranks fourth on the Magic in scoring. But that number alone doesn’t begin to tell his overall improvement. He’s averaging three rebounds and three assists a game and he routinely gets raves from Van Gundy for his defense because he rarely gambles and rarely makes mistakes.

``J.J. has played really well. He came up really big for us last year in the playoffs, starting against Philadelphia and Boston, and played a big role. I think that helped him,’’ Van Gundy said. ``He’s a guy you can really trust because you know he’s going to be in the right spot and not make a lot of mistakes.’’

Redick’s biggest mistake last season, oddly enough, was not being able to hit enough shots for his liking. He carved out a role in the Magic’s rotation by improving his defense and his playmaking abilities, but one of the best shooters in college basketball history was puzzled as to why his shot betrayed him. Redick shot 39.1 percent from the floor last season and 37.4 percent from 3-point range – well short of his goals of 45 percent overall and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

So Redick went to work on his shot over the summer. He took just two weeks off after the NBA Finals, getting back into the gym and the film room along with assistant coach Bob Beyer. Redick launched hundreds of shots a day – some on the move, some spot-up shots and dozens of others off curl screens.

The results so far have been spectacular for Redick. Through six games, four of which have been starts, the fourth-year shooting guard has made 44.8 percent of his shots and a dazzling 51.6 percent of his 3-pointers. His shooting in the Toronto victory – he made a career-best five 3-pointers – helped the Magic get off to a strong start and led the way for 17 3-pointers that game.

Redick is very much a deep thinker and often philosophical and analytical when it comes to his performances. He analyzes the process as much as he does the result, and truly believes his success now is because of his growth and maturity as a player. He says he simply might not have been ready to succeed when he first came into the NBA. Now, he added, everything has come together for him and he’s reaping the benefits.

``I learned how to be a pro. I worked on my body, worked on my game and worked hard in practice,’’ he said. ``I’ve put myself in a position when I could improve and I think I’ve done that.’’

By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel

6:47 AM EDT, April 7, 2010

Orlando Magic players usually smile when someone asks about backup point guard, Jason Williams.

Williams spices up long plane flights with card tricks. He enlivens the locker room with jokes and one-liners. He dazzles teammates with an arsenal of fancy shots and showy passes.

"He's kind of like a one-man circus," starting point guard Jameer Nelson says. "I love the guy."

There's also the way Williams has played.

The Magic love that most of all.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a career renaissance this season. After taking a year off to help his wife through a difficult pregnancy, Williams is posting career-highs in field-goal percentage and in his shooting percentage from beyond the arc. He also ranks among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Williams has proven to be one of the best bargains of last offseason's free-agent market. With Orlando already over the salary cap, Magic General Manager Otis Smith signed Williams in August to a one-year deal worth about $1.3 million, the minimum salary for an NBA veteran with at least 10 years of experience.

Williams, a University of Florida alumnus, has benefitted, too. He didn't have to uproot his family from their Isleworth residence.

"I've been trying to get here since '98," Williams says. "We've got a chance to win a championship, too. Since '98, I don't know realistically how many years the Magic had a chance to win it. Now, I think we have as good a chance of any chance ever."

The Magic will look to fine-tune their game when they face the Washington Wizards tonight at Amway Arena.

Indeed, Williams already has helped the Magic win a championship. The Magic clinched their third consecutive Southeast Division title Tuesday night when the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the Atlanta Hawks.

The Magic also secured the Eastern Conference's No. 2 playoff seed when the Hawks lost.

Williams knows a little something about titles.

He's the only player on the Magic roster who has earned an NBA championship ring. He started at point guard for the Miami Heat when the Heat won it all in 2006. Some current Magic players have asked Williams about the experience, but Williams concedes that the Heat's NBA Finals victory is "hard to explain."

"You've got to be there to really feel it and witness it," Williams says. "You've got to pour the beer and the champagne on people's heads and stuff like that. You can't really explain how you feel about that. You've got to be there to feel that."

As Nelson's backup, Williams figures to be a supporting player on any potential title run this time around. But Williams already has played a key role this season on and off the court.

A mid-November knee injury to Nelson elevated Williams into the starting lineup, and Orlando has compiled a 14-4 record with Williams as the starter at the point.

Williams has made 44.5 percent of his field-goal attempts and is shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range.

"On the court, his energy and his ability to push the ball up and down the floor has been his biggest contribution," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says. "But I think maybe bigger than that is he just brings a great spirit and energy to our team. In a long season and with a coach that can be pretty negative at times, I think it's really important to have guys like that."

You can see Williams' influence in the layup line before every game. Minutes before tipoff, there's always a moment when power forward Rashard Lewis grabs Williams and hoists Williams toward the hoop. Williams then receives a pass from a teammate and dunks the ball.

The pregame ritual is just a sideshow compared to what occurs when the West Virginia native tells jokes and does card tricks for teammates.

"He's straightforward," Lewis says. "He's a country boy. He talks real country. He's loud. He speaks his mind."

For example, Williams has fun at the expense of Polish center Marcin Gortat.

"Catch the ball or I'll take your visa and you'll go back to Poland," Williams sometimes tells Gortat.

Of course, Gortat smiles as he recounts that joke.

Williams has had that effect on just about everyone this season.