Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers expects shooting guard J.J. Redick to return to the lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, according to Eric Patten of Clippers.com:
J.J. Redick injury: Clippers guard ‘probably going to play’ vs. Lakers
Redick has been out since Nov. 29, but Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is hopeful he’ll return on Friday.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
“He’s been cleared and he looked good the other day, so if that’s true he’s probably going to play,” Rivers said.
Redick has been out since Nov. 29 with a fractured right hand and torn ligament in his wrist. Redick returned to practice on Tuesday and Rivers isn’t sure how much the guard will play if he does indeed make his return against the Lakers.
With Redick set to play, Jamal Crawford will return to the bench into his familiar sixth man role. Crawford has had a lot of success the past two seasons as the primary scorer and ball-handler of the Clippers' second unit.
The Clippers have gone 13-8 since Redick went down. The offense has missed Redick’s presence, as the Clippers have scored 8.6 more points per 100 possessions with him on the court this season, according to NBA.com’s stats page.
Redick's return and ability to stretch the floor will be especially helpful now that Chris Paul is out with a shoulder injury. On the season, Redick is averaging 15.8 points on 46.0 percent shooting overall and 35.9 percent from three.
UPDATE:
JJ Redick said he's planning playing tonight.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 10, 2014 More from SB Nation NBA:
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