When the Sixers were attempting to lure JJ Redick to Philly in free agency back in 2017, then-head coach Brett Brown’s pitch was simple: The two-man game between Redick and second-year big man Joel Embiid could be unstoppable.
Brown wasn’t wrong. Redick and Embiid put defenses through hell in their two seasons together. The combination of Redick’s lethal jump shot that he could get off at just about any angle paired with the size and skill of Embiid led to great offense. It allowed the 33-year-old Redick to have the most individual offensive success of his career. It also helped Embiid, who was just 23 at the time, navigate being the focal point of the defense every night.