‘He’s an all-timer’: JJ Redick talks MVP vote, Joel Embiid’s dominance, Sixers’ title chances and more in a Q&A

JJ Redick, in just a few days, went from beloved former Sixer to public enemy No. 1 of 76ers Twitter when he announced in a video that he had voted for Giannis Antetokounmpo and not Joel Embiid for NBA MVP.

The vote, Redick said, was a snapshot of the NBA season. Antetokounmpo was the best player on the best team. The Sixers had a better winning percentage without Embiid than they did with him. And the narrative that Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic already had an MVP and Embiid didn’t? What does that matter?

As Redick later explained to us, what does all of this MVP chatter matter anyway? When did it get so important?

In a Q&A with The Inquirer, Redick, now the host of a popular podcast and an NBA analyst, touched on the MVP vote, Embiid’s dominance, the Sixers’ title chances, and his post-basketball career in media.

(Note: The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

Redick: I think everybody reads their mentions. When I log on Twitter, I tap on the mentions thing and then scroll to the top and if there’s something that catches my eye, I’ll read it.

It doesn’t matter to me. It’s all fun. Nothing will ever change my feelings toward Philadelphia and my love for the fans and the city. I’ve said it a million times, I think it’s the best sports town. If you can handle it and embrace it, it’s awesome and I loved my two years there.

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Redick: We haven’t talked yet. I’m calling Game 1 on Saturday in Philly so I’m sure I’ll see him at some point. I think the last time we really had a long conversation was in early February.

This MVP stuff just became toxic in some ways. I would say the larger point that I’ve realized this year is, when did MVP become so important? Maybe it’s social media and we all live in this bubble on social media, but I don’t ever remember it being this important.

On our Islands in the League video, presented by DraftKings, I talk about this. I think there’s like eight MVPs in the last 30 seasons that have also won a championship. Everyone is getting so caught up in this MVP legacy talk. Since when? We live in ring culture. I hate it, but it’s a fact.

Joel is going to win, first of all, but if Giannis wins the Finals and Finals MVP, what’s more meaningful? What’s more meaningful to Jokic? What’s more meaningful to Jayson Tatum? I don’t know where we’ve sort of gone off this path where it’s the only thing.

I told (podcast co-host Tommy Alter) this, next year on the podcast, we are putting in a 50-game moratorium on any discussion of MVP. We’re not doing it. After Game 50, we can start talking about it. People do it Game 5, who are your early MVPs? Who cares!

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Redick: Joel and I would joke about this when I played with him, I wish I were five years younger. I wish my 32-year-old self, when I was at my best in my basketball and NBA knowledge, and still had enough athleticism and quickness and speed, I wish I had played with this version of Joel.

That’s not to say the other version was bad. The other version was All-NBA and started All-Star games and was amazing. That version was the best player I’ve ever played with. But this version, he is an all-timer.

Here’s what I see: Joel became a great passer, knows how to bait double teams, he’s much more willing, he recognizes defensive coverages. He always was, because he was one of the smartest guys I played with.

What’s helped him, in some ways, and Philly fans are going to say, ‘He’s knocking Joel.’ No, what’s helped him is he finally has a guy to play pick-and-roll with. And that pick-and-roll tandem, if you are in drop coverage, you cannot guard that. Joel is going to roll into the short pocket. He’s going to catch it at the elbow or the free throw line. He’s unstoppable in single coverage at that spot on the floor.

Maybe I wish I had known that four years ago.

Redick: I think it’ll be a really fun series.

It’s gonna be interesting to see how they double-team (Embiid). They’re going to have to double-team him. Then, when they do switch, [Nic] Claxton on [James] Harden — Claxton was second on my most-improved player list and I had him second-team All-NBA — that matchup is going to be interesting.

I don’t think Brooklyn has enough firepower to beat the Sixers. Will it go four games, five games, six? I don’t know. But Philly is going to win the series.

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Redick: The 76ers can absolutely beat the Celtics. Absolutely.

Doc said this, and it was weird because a lot of people had a negative reaction to this, but in training camp he said this is the most talented group we’ve had since I’ve been here. And if you’ve seen them play this season with the different lineups — Maxey’s had two different roles; Melton has had two different roles — they’re clicked. They’re not clicking. They are clicked.

I feel like they’re in a great spot to make a deep run. What are they, like +950 to win it all at DraftKings right now?

(NOTE: it’s +900)

That feels like a really strong bet for me. I’m serious, man. They can win it all. I really believe that.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid and the Sixers have the talent, but they need championship toughness

Reidick: It’s not at all where I imagined I’d be.

I was 30 when I really started thinking about retirement. You don’t really know how your body is going to age and I was aware at the time that the league is very evolutionary. At some point I’m going to age out. It also was the year my oldest son, Knox, was born.

To be honest, I always thought I was going to go work in finance. I really did. I thought I’d go get my MBA and shadow somebody for six months to a year and then go.

What I realized when I retired — because I thought “I’m not going to watch the NBA this year” and then a week into the season I’m watching seven games on a Tuesday night on League Pass — I just love basketball, man.

The media thing has been a lot of fun, but it’s also allowed me to feel close to the game. Nothing will ever replace competing at the highest level. There’s no drug like it. I will never feel that in media.

Someday I may coach, I don’t know. But I want to be near the game and involved in basketball in some way for the rest of my life.

Redick: I was a very shy, introverted, quiet kid. I felt as my career went on I got more and more comfortable in leadership positions in the locker room.

Brett Brown, particularly, when I left LA and got to Philly, empowered me. I’ve told him this, Brett has had as big of an influence on my life as any coach that I played for, not just as a basketball player but as a human being. He is one of one.

My mom also has done that for the last 38 years.

What I’ve learned is that I can be comfortable sharing what I feel. I can be comfortable sharing what I think. I can be comfortable sharing whatever knowledge I have of something, and it’s OK whatever happens after that. It’s OK.

The Philly Twitter stuff… it’s OK. It’s fine.