Underappreciated Players of this Millennium – Michael Redd

Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images

Just like Mobley and Jamison (Episodes 1 and 2), Redd also isn’t appreciated enough for what he was able to do on the court, when he was healthy. I thought about who to compare him with (for younger readers who might not know Redd very well) and came to the conclution that he was the early 2000’s Klay Thompson (if Klay continues to play like he has this season, for a couple of more years).

He was lights-out from the perimeter, he’s had decent quickness and speed, had one of the quickest shooting strokes in NBA history and was a deadly 3 point shooter. He wasn’t known to be that good of a shooter in college if a good shooter at all, but had an extremly good work ethic and trained his ass off to become as great as he was.

Redd was drafted by the Bucks with the 43rd overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft (STEAL!) and played 11 seasons in Milwaukee, where he averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Redd’s name ranks among the all-time Bucks career leaders in the following categories: points (4th – 11,554); scoring average (5th – 20.0 ppg); games (7th, 578); minutes (5th, 19,334); field goals made (7th, 4,063); field goals attempted (4th, 9,045); three-point field goals made (2nd, 1,003); three-point field goals attempted (1st, 2,619); three-point field goal percentage (8th, .383); free throws made (2nd, 2,425); free throws attempted (3rd, 2,887); and free throw percentage (10th, .840).

The Bucks’ franchise record holder for most points scored in a game (57!), was a 2004 All-Star and he was on the All-NBA Third Team in 2004.
Redd has frequently played for Team USA. He was part of the 2008 Olympic Team that ended up winning back the gold medal  and living up to their “Redeem Team” moniker after missing out in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Michael Redd averaged more than 20 PPG (26.7 in 2006-2007 being the highest scoring average of his career)in 6 NBA seasons

On January 25, 2009 , Redd tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee. Redd missed the rest of the 2008–09 season. Redd returned for the Bucks to start the 2009–10 season, but during a game against the Lakers on January 10, 2010, he re-tore his ACL and MCL in the same knee that he had injured almost a year earlier. It was announced the next day that he would once again be lost for the rest of the season. He did come back (also played for Phoenix), but wasn’t able to reach the level he once had  and only played a total of 61 games after the second injury.

On November 6, 2013, Redd announced his retirement from the NBA.
He unfortunately was quickly forgotten by the NBA universe (excluding the Bucks’ fans), that’s why he fits this player series perfectly…

 

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