MIAMI – J.J. Redick’s heading to his second straight All-Star three-point contest, and this time he’s practicing.
Redick said his goal is to actually win it this year after soaking up the experience in his first time being part of All-Star weekend last year, and he’ll be practicing on the racks in the days leading up to the contest.
“My agent set me up with some racks and money balls,” Redick said.
Redick currently leads the league with a 48.1 percent mark from 3-point range this year. He’s on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to shoot 48 percent or better from 3-point range while averaging five or more 3-pointers per game, after Kyle Korver accomplished the feat while shooting 49.2 percent from long range last year.
Redick’s also on pace to log the highest single-season 3-point percentage of any player in franchise history, and he’s on pace to surpass his franchise record of 200 made 3-pointers set last year.
Head coach Doc Rivers said he obviously deserves to be part of the festivities once again, and he added that he thinks the 3-point contest is the best event of the weekend now.
“Hoping he wins,” Rivers said. “That would be nice. Let’s see if he can make them and get through the rack.”
Redick’s looking to improve upon his performance last year, when he struggled to keep his feet behind the line in the first round, leading to some of his made shots not counting. He might’ve been joking when he said Saturday that he plans on shooting three feet beyond the line this time.
The eight-player field features reigning champion Stephen Curry and his teammate Klay Thompson, as well as Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Houston’s James Harden, Miami’s Chris Bosh, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.
Redick said he doesn’t plan on thinking about his competition as he prepares.
“That’s the thing,” Redick explained, “there’s no one guarding you, so you’re not really going against anyone. You’re going against yourself and the clock. If I shoot how I expect myself to shoot with no defense, I think I’ll have a chance to win. I don’t know that Steph won’t make all 25 shots. I can’t control that, but I feel like I can shoot a lot better than I did last year.”
Redick said a player never knows how many opportunities he’ll get to be invited to All-Star weekend, and he convinced his wife to join him in Toronto “and have a little vacation in 15-degree weather.”
It’ll be even nicer for Redick if he can win the contest, which is trickier than catching and shooting on the run as he’s used to doing from long range in games.
“There’s a different rhythm to it, for sure,” Redick said. “Even when I do spot shots, it’s like a mini-footwork thing that I do. So I’m practicing my footwork going different ways, even in just a small confined space. In a rack, you’re kind of just yanking and throwing it up there.”
