This spot that J.J. Redick is in now, one where he's finally entrenched in the Orlando Magic's rotation, should have brought him much joy.

After all, he spent two maddening seasons mostly saddled on the bench while waiting for an opportunity like this to play. And then there were the countless hours over the summer working in the weight room and on the track, trying to improve himself physically and prepare for his big chance.

So now that he's actually playing, why then, you must wonder, is the Duke University legend so peeved?

"It sounds funny even saying it, but the only thing holding me back right now is my shooting,'' Redick said recently with a smirk and a smile.

If Redick struggled defensively, it would have been about as surprising as NFL diva Plaxico Burress finding trouble again. If he had trouble creating his own shot or cracking the rotation on a Magic team already loaded with scorers, no one would have batted an eye.

But seeing Redick, college basketball's all-time leading 3-point shooter, struggle with a jump shot that looks like it's right out of a handbook is downright confounding. Misses, both on open and contested looks, have been so prevalent that Redick might soon have to offer refunds for all of those "Better Basketball" shooting videos he's sold.

Redick made 2 of 5 shots (all 3-point tries) and scored six points in Orlando's lopsided 107-88 loss to the Boston Celtics Monday night. His shooting percentages -- 31 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from 3-point range -- continue to resemble frigid winter temperatures. And, understandably, no one has taken the shooting slump harder than Redick.

"I feel like I've done a lot of things well, and if I could just make a couple of shots, I could go from playing solid to playing really well,'' said Redick, who came out of Monday's game averaging 4.4 points a game.

Redick is getting this shot, in large part, because of injuries to starting shooting guard Mickael Pietrus (torn right thumb ligament) and top reserve Keith Bogans (fractured left thumb). Orlando's once log-jammed shooting guard position now has only Redick and promising rookie Courtney Lee available for the next three weeks.

The hope, for now at least, is that consistent minutes will help Redick gain rhythm and confidence and allow Lee to shorten his rookie learning curve.

Orlando forward Rashard Lewis said recently: "Everybody around here wants to see J.J. play. Well, they're going to get their wish.''

Magic fans have long wished to see Redick get a fair shake after he spent much of the past two seasons looking on from the bench. He had been reduced to mostly mop-up duty, and his mere entrance into games usually elicited ovations as if he were some sort of underdog "Rudy" character from Notre Dame football lore.

It was a far cry from what was expected when Redick was selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2006 NBA draft following a highly decorated college career at Duke. The thought in drafting him went something like this: With Dwight Howard dominating down low and Hedo Turkoglu emerging as one of the game's better drive-and-kick playmakers, Redick's shooting would mesh perfectly.

But he played 42 games as a rookie and saw his chances dip to just 34 games (and 346 fewer minutes) last season under Stan Van Gundy. Redick was so despondent that his agent, Arn Tellem, went to Magic GM Otis Smith last December to request a trade.

That never happened, and Redick worked for several weeks this past summer back at Duke to give himself a chance at finally cracking Orlando's rotation. He added noticeably more muscle to his 195-pound frame and improved his explosiveness with work on the track.

And the work paid off in the preseason, when Redick played as consistently as anyone in Magic pinstripes. He made 51 percent of his shots, drilled 10 of 18 3-pointers when defenses double-teamed Howard inside and averaged 10.5 points.

He was so impressive that Van Gundy named him the top reserve behind Pietrus. But what followed was downright ugly. Redick missed all eight of his shots, three of them on unsightly air balls, in his first three games and was shifted back to the bench.

Just as he feared that he might not get another shot to play meaningful minutes again, Redick landed his first professional start on Nov. 18 when Pietrus was out with bruised ribs. Obviously jaded from two-plus seasons of being buried on the bench, Redick feared for the worst before scoring 10 points in 34 minutes.

"I told my brother that I'd probably play three minutes until the first TV timeout, come out of the game and never play again,'' Redick joked.

Injuries ultimately ensured Redick another chance, and now it's up to him to make sure it lasts long after Pietrus and Bogans return. Van Gundy, who calls Redick "not a good shooter, but a great shooter,'' is hoping that guaranteed, uninterrupted minutes will help soothe his guard's nerves. And Redick knows that for all of the focus on his defense and ballhandling, he will ultimately be judged by his ability to hit shots.

"I'm a professional and I'm paid to make shots, and if I'm not doing that, then I'm not doing my job,'' Redick said. "There's a lot made of my defense, rebounding and assists, but I'm ultimately judged by my shooting. I just need to go out there and make 'em.''

John Denton is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He covers the Magic for Florida Today.

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