On defending the Michael Redd pick:
Michael Redd and others have said that a primary cause for his knee blowing up was that he rushed back from injury. This time, Redd has pledged not to even remotely attempt to play again next season until he is 100% healthy. His doctors say that will be February.
Michael Redd is being cautious in his recovery from a second major knee operation and may not return until February 2011, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Saturday.
According to the report, Redd is worried that rushing his return could lead to the same result as last season.
Redd blew out his left knee 47 games into the 2008-09 season and rehabbed in time to open 2009-10 with the Bucks. But Redd played in just 18 games and wrecked the same knee again on Jan. 10 against the Los Angeles Lakers, spurring doubts about his effectiveness after his second surgery in as many years.
Redd had surgery on the injured knee on March 2.
Redd, due an insured $18.3 million next season, is entering the final year of his contract. His expiring deal could be a key piece for the Bucks after an offseason spent gearing up for an improved run in the revamped Eastern Conference.
My thoughts are...
Redd will not be back until the all-star break. That gives him 26 games and 2 whole months to get into some kind of fit with the Bulls and D'Antoni's system in time to be at or close to 100% ready for the playoffs.
Even then, he won't be starting. His playing time will gradually increase up until the point where ideally he's splitting minutes with Mike Miller on a 55-45 basis at the 2(26 for Miller, 22 for Redd), but his primary role will be to supplant LeBron's scoring when LeBron can't be on the floor.
Redd has a lot to prove this season, and really his only hope is to come off the bench, because nobody is going to hold a starting spot for a guy who might never get there. Redd has also always been a class act, and he's been saying for a couple of years now (or at least since his career earnings topped 100 million dollars) that 'he just wants to win'. LeBron James as a player gives you a better chance of that than anyone in the league.
Redd probably won't help me win many regular season votes, but come time for those playoffs matchups....