New Sun Michael Redd getting himself in basketball shape

After the Suns got off to a slow start shooting from the field to start the 2011-12 season, the front office wasted little time in adding an outside shooting presence to the team. On December 29, the Suns signed 11-year veteran Michael Redd.

Redd has had an extremely underrated career, all of which to this point was with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Redd was selected to the All-NBA third team in 2004 and has finished in the top 11 in the NBA in scoring five times (2004-2008) including a scoring average of 26.7 during the 2006-07 season.

The injury bug has been an issue for Redd over the past three seasons. He has played only 61 games total in that span after tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee on two separate occasions.

“We’ve got to get to a point of us putting him out there and then a process of him getting himself into basketball shape,” said Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “Here’s a guy that hasn’t played professional basketball in eight months so he’s not going to walk out there and everything be sharp and ready to go.”

While there has not been a specific time-table mentioned for Redd’s return, he is working diligently with the Phoenix Suns training staff to get back into basketball shape.

“They have been working with me day and night,” explained Redd. “Kind of relentless with my body the last couple days so it’d been good.”

The Suns next game is in LA against the Lakers on Tuesday night.

For more on the Suns, follow Jared Cohen on twitter at @JaredPros2Preps.