Veteran guard J.J. Redick has likely seen his fair share of slumps over his storied NBA career. How he got over his most recent one with the Philadelphia 76ers, though, might just take the cake.
Fresh off a 28 win campaign (a considerable improvement but still poor overall) a season ago, it was only logical for the team to just continue piling in experience and see what happens next. However, Sixers General Manager Bryan Colangelo felt like the team was on the cusp of pushing for a playoff spot as early as the coming season.
The man who replaced Sam Hinkie got the ball started by swapping the team's number three pick for the Boston Celtics' number one so they could select Washington Husky guard Markelle Fultz, even throwing in a future lottery pick to sweeten the deal. A clear sign that they did not intend to be bad again to the point that they need to stockpile rookies every other year.
Philly's desire to be competitive reflected again on the free agent moves that followed, starting with the pursuit (and eventual signing) of Los Angeles Clipper guard J.J. Redick, as well as the addition of veteran big man Amir Johnson.
With those pair of signings, and the extension of Joel Embiid and the much-awaited debut of prized rookie Ben Simmons, the Sixers roster looked like it could very well compete in the wide open Eastern Conference. Vegas even pegged the team as having the fifth-best odds of winning the East.
Fast forward a month into the season, and the Sixers were holding a 12-8 slate. But a disappointing December, rife with losing streaks and falling as low as 14-18, had newly-minted guard Redick convinced that the playoffs may not be possible. The former Duke Blue Devil told Howard Beck of the “Full 48 Podcast” that he signed up for a GMAT exam instead.
“We were really bad in December up until Christmas, and I signed up to take the GMAT on April 21, which was the first Saturday after the regular season ended. Obviously, I had to cancel that because I was in Miami for Game 4.”
Lucky for the City of Brotherly Love, Redick isn't currently taking any tests. Instead, he's playing important basketball in May.
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