Clippers guard J.J. Redick is out for about two months and might need surgery on his right wrist, but the veteran is looking at the brighter side of his impending shift on the sideline.
“I have enjoyed these 17 games I got to play immensely,” Redick said. “I love this team and I love playing for Doc (Rivers) , so it’s very frustrating. But I’m an optimistic person and I look for the good in every situation and I’ve already started thinking about all the positives two months from now. Mentally I’ll be finsaid e.”
Redick broke the pisiform bone and suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. He will see hand specialist Dr. Steve Shin on Monday.
“It’s an upper body injury so I can stay in great shape and get in even better shape cardio-wise,” Redick said. “While most guys’ legs are going to be tailing off toward the end of January, I’ll have fresh legs. A couple of coaches said it’ll be like trading for somebody right before the all-star break. I’m hoping I have five more months of basketball to play this season.”
Redick was hurt when he was spilled by Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins while going for a rebound. Redick said the play, which was whistled as a foul on Cousins, was not beyond a hard foul.
“When your momentum’s carrying you somewhere and you’re completely suspended in the air, any little nudge will get going in an opposite direction,’ Redick said. “Unfortunately, it twisted me around a little bit, got me parallel to the floor and I fell.”
Redick said he has already recovered from a broken wrist at ages 7, 13 and 22 and trusts that however this injury heals, he will be able to recover completely.
“I’m not worried about that,” he said. “I trust the specialist. Dr. Shin has operated and seen a bunch of guys in the league so he knows what he’s doing, and I trust our training staff. I’ll be back soon.”