J.J. Redick unloads on Philadelphia 76ers and pinpoints the biggest issue

A former teammate of Ben Simmons has delivered a brutal spray to the team and highlighted the most damning issue that still remains.

JJ Redick didn’t bite his tongue.

Things in Philadelphia didn’t go anywhere close to plan this season with the team sent packing from the playoffs in the first round.

The dismal display left serious question marks hanging over the franchise after they made big changes to the roster following the 2019 season.

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Star forward Jimmy Butler was let go to join the Miami Heat and guard J.J Redick was off to join the New Orleans Pelicans.

Things turned soured between Butler and Aussie superstar Ben Simmons with reports

suggesting that the Aussie superstar had an issue with his former teammate’s involvement in coaching the team.

“(Former coach Brett) Brown didn’t appreciate how outspoken Butler was with his coaching tactics, and Ben Simmons once took issue with a text message Butler sent in a team group chat that instructed Simmons what not to do in an upcoming game against Brooklyn,” Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes wrote last month.

Now Redick has weighed in to the damning issue that left the 76ers in a deep hole they never managed to claw their way out of.

“They f***ed up not bringing me back, man,” Redick said on the All the Smoke podcast.

“They f***ed up not bringing me back. They probably realized they needed more shooting. With me in Philly, it wasn’t just about the shooting. You need people in the locker room. You need those guys”

Butler and Redick are long gone.

The 36-year-old veteran guard had played for the 76ers from 2017-2019, with the team going to the Eastern Conference semi-finals both seasons.

The latest disastrous ending resulted in the organisation firing head coach Brett Brown and replacing him with Doc Rivers.

Without Redick’s veteran presence and 3-point shooting, the 76ers struggled to find their identity and got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

Butler has gone on to help lead the Heat into the NBA Finals, although injuries have hampered their run with the Los Angeles Lakers currently holding a 2-0 lead.

After averaging 17.6 points on 40.7 per cent shooting from beyond the arc in Philadelphia, Redick signed a two-year, $26.5 million contract with the Pelicans.

Joel Embiid has expressed his frustration over how things played out last summer, but he may not be alone.

“I’ve said this before, but the one consistent in Philly has been personnel in and out,” Redick said.

“Like, you just have a ton of players that come through there. And so I think — Joel talked about this on my podcast — for him, he’s played with like, I don’t even f***ing know at this point, hundreds of teammates. It’s just a rotating cast of teammates, you know?”

General Manager Elton Brand will have the task of surrounding Simmons and Joel Embiid with the right pieces to help elevate the 76ers to the top of the Eastern Conference.

“Those are two young guys, they’re both All-NBA players,” Redick said. “I would love to see [the Sixers] figure out a way to bring in a coach that can get the best out of them and surround them with great personnel.”

— with Greg Joyce, NY Post