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JJ Redick is entering the 2019-20 NBA campaign on a new team, as he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans over the summer.
Redick has never missed the playoffs in his 13-year career, so even though the Pelicans may look like a long shot to make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference, Redick is playing to win.
The veteran is coming off a very impressive final season with the Philadelphia 76ers in which he averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game, but what numbers should he be targeting in his first year with New Orleans?
Here are three numbers JJ Redick should be looking to hit.
3. 25 minutes per game
Obviously, this is more of Alvin Gentry's call than anything else, but the better Redick plays, the more minutes he will get.
It's important to note that Redick will probably be coming off the bench for the first time since his brief Milwaukee Bucks days, as Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball will likely start in the backcourt, and Brandon Ingram will probably be at the 3.
That means Redick will have to play the role of sixth man, which, in turn, will cause his playing time to dip from the 30-31 minutes per game he had been playing in each of his last two seasons with the 76ers.
Of course, sixth men still get plenty of playing time, but the Pelicans actually have some wing depth in the form of E'Twaun Moore and Josh Hart, so Redick will have to fight for minutes.
2. Average 15 points per game
Redick averaged 17.1 points and 18.1 points, respectively, in the last two seasons, and he has averaged at least 15 points per game since the 2013-14 campaign.
Therefore, it is reasonable to expect Redick to average 15 points per game again in 2019-20, even if his minutes are cut a bit.
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Redick is one of the top veteran leaders on this squad, so he will have a significant role and will get his shots. He averages 13.4 field goal attempts per 36 minutes over the course of his career, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him take 13 shots per game even in 25-28 minutes of action given the lack of proven talent in New Orleans.
If the Pelicans want to have any chance of making the playoffs, Redick needs to deliver.
1. Shoot 40 percent from 3-point range
For the first time since the 2013-14 season, Redick shot under 40 percent from 3-point range this past year, making 39.7 percent of his triples.
Obviously, he didn't fall that short of hitting 40 percent. But considering Redick made 43.7, 47.5, 42.9 and 42.0 percent of his long-distance tries in the preceding four seasons, respectively, that is a relatively low number for the 35-year-old.
But now, Redick will be on a team that will likely be doing a lot of run-and-gunning with Ball and Zion Williamson, meaning Redick should get a lot of good looks on the perimeter in transition and off of dribble penetration.
Redick attempted eight treys per game last year and has taken at least six triples per game in each of the last three seasons, so he will likely get that many attempts in 2019-20.
He will probably get a lot of clean looks, so he needs to take full advantage of them.
I honestly don't think the Pelicans will have a shot of making the postseason if JJ Redick doesn't hit 3-pointers at a 40 percent clip. He is that important to this offense.
