Last night the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. While fans of the Bulls certainly are feeling disdain for their southern Florida counterparts they should save some of their venom for the other team from the sunshine state, the Orlando Magic. During the offseason the Bulls attempted to bring in J.J. Redick, signing him to a three year, $19 million offer sheet. However, much to Chicago’s chagrin, the Magic decided to match the Bulls’ offer and retain the rights to Redick. Now, this is where it’s going to sound a little crazy, but the series against the Heat might’ve played out a little differently had the Magic decided to let Redick go to Chicago. Despite a few embarrassing defensive moments (YouTube J.J. Redick and ankles), Redick has developed into a pretty solid defensive player. If nothing else, he is a guy who embraces his role, brings constant energy and is definitely not afraid of a big moment. I’m not saying Chicago wins the series with Redick on their team (I’m not gutsy enough to make that call), but I think it’s pretty hard to argue that given the choice between having Redick or Kyle Korver on the floor in the last two minutes of a close game, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is not going with Redick in that situation, call me crazy if you want, but I think it’s an interesting discussion to have.
