It’s easy to forget that when J.J. Redick came out of Duke, the guy who’d shut him down in the NCAA tournament – Tyrus Thomas – went seven spots higher in the 2006 draft.
Thomas, a 6-9 athletic forward who’d put the clamps on Redick in LSU’s 62-54 upset of the No. 1-seeded Blue Devils in the regional semifinals, never materialized as a No. 4 pick.
Redick, taken by the Orlando Magic and spending his first six-plus seasons here, took a minute to gain his footing but proved the more productive player. He also helped usher in the era of floor-spacing 3-point specialists who are highly coveted by all 30 teams today.