A few days ago, I took two players from yesteryear and posed the question: who was better? Now let’s turn to another pair: Allan Houston and Michael Redd. I think this is an interesting comparison because these two have alot in common: they were best known for their jumpshot, they were grossly overpaid and sustained unfortunate injuries.
You may notice that I referred to Michael Redd in the past tense even though he’s an active player. That’s because it’s very clear that his best days are behind him and he has injuries to thank for that. I almost fell out of my chair when I looked up some of his numbers and saw that he is only 31 years old. For some reason, I would’ve guessed that he was roughly 36. Apparently, I allowed his absence on the court to be confused with age.
Hypothetically speaking, if Redd was healthy, and with Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut and now Stephen Jackson on the squad as well, that could be a very good core. But of course, Redd isn’t Redd anymore. But he used to be. He was a perennial 20 point scorer, once Ray Allen got out of his way by heading to Seattle, and actually averaged 20+ for six straight seasons (although one of those years he played 53 games and 33 in another). He had a quick release, was deadly from behind the arc and could put the ball on the floor if he needed to. His shot wasn’t the prettiest, but it was plenty effective.
After the 2004 – 2005 season, Redd was given a 6-year, $91M deal by the Bucks. Due to injuries, he never lived up to that contract and has only played in 61 games in the last three years.
Similar to Redd needing to get out of Ray Allen’s shadow in order to flourish, Allan Houston had to get from behind Grant Hill. In his three years in Detroit, his scoring average climbed every year. But the expiration of his rookie contract would be the end of him in Detroit. He would then relocate to New York where he was garner much more attention and exposure. He had a solid first couple of years for the Knicks which was highlighted by his game-winning runner in Game 5 (the first round was only a best-of-5 then, of course) of the first round of the 1999 playoffs against the Heat, where the ball hit front rim and the backboard before finding the bottom of the net. And just like that, Allan Houston’s stardom went through the Garden roof.
For his first couple of years of solid play in New York, he was rewarded with a 6-year, $100M deal in 2001. And that’s when the problems began. Injuries set in in the worst way. He certainly tried very hard to return to the court but only managed to play in 70 total games in his last two seasons combined. He attempted a comeback since his final season (2004 – 2005) but has never appeared in a regular season game since.
But during his glory years, Houston was as smooth as they came on the court. He also possessed a quick shot, the ability to put the ball on the floor and could score from anywhere on the floor. He only had one season of 20+ ppg, but had several in the 19ppg range. Not to mention that he is one of the most beloved Knicks ever and is still very involved with the organization.
In my opinion, neither Redd or Houston were worth the contracts that they received, even at their very best. Their injuries, more so than their respective game, are what helps in contributing to why most feel that they were overpaid. But you can’t take away the fact that they were great scorers and had many similarities. They also each have a 50+ point game on their resumes. At their best, who was better?
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then you’ve come to the wrong place, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
