LOS ANGELES — Think back to 2006 (Gnarls Barkley . . . “Little Miss Sunshine” . . . a viable economy). Remember the hype over Duke’s J.J. Redick and Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison, two of the nation’s top scorers? They were linked legends, the Affirmed and Alydar of college basketball, the can’t-miss kids.
Back then, if someone said Morrison and Redick would face each other in the 2009 NBA Finals, well, one’s imagination would run wild, picturing a wild-West shooting duel between the duo.
If someone said that in Game 1 of those Finals Redick would play seven minutes and Morrison wouldn’t even be activated, well, “I wouldn’t have believed you,” Morrison said Saturday.
Such is the case. The 2006 USBWA co-players of the year are afterthoughts in this year’s Finals.
The road following Tobacco Road has been rocky for Redick. The Magic drafted him No. 11 in 2006, and he averaged 6.0 points per game this season, making just one appearance in the conference semifinals against Cleveland. With Orlando battling injuries and foul trouble, Redick played 27 minutes in Game 2 and scored five points, including an important 3 in the fourth quarter.
As for Morrison, Charlotte drafted him No. 3 in 2006 (No. 3!). Now, he seldom suits up for the Lakers, averaging 4.0 points per game, primarily in garbage time.
“I got traded late in the season, tight rotation, and the guys play well,” Morrison said. “But just to be a part of this is great, and I do what I can in practice to help the guys out, give them a good look. And a lot of guys don’t get this chance.”
In 2006, the two became friends through video games they’d play against each other via the Internet. Now, they don’t even keep in touch, crossing paths on occasion in the summertime and prior to game time.
“I’m not answering this in a smart-(expletive) way, but I never played against the guy in college,” Redick said. “Our only connection was through media hype and a friendship. I don’t think it’s weird. I don’t sit up at night and think about Adam. I wish him the best in his career. But it’s not even an issue.”
“Looking back,” Morrison said, “it was a little overwhelming, the amount of coverage that we got. It was cool, but it was almost overbearing.”
Benjamin Hochman covers the NBA. Contact: 303-954-1294 or bhochman @denverpost.com
