With the Los Angeles Lakers making JJ Redick the frontrunner to be their next head coach, one of the team’s biggest remaining offseason questions should soon be answered.
For weeks, the 39-year-old Redick has been the hottest topic in league circles over the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy. Although a final decision has not yet been made and the Lakers are still making some progress in their coaching search, all signs point to Redick being the favorite. as Competitor The Lakers are enamored with Redick’s potential and view him as a coaching prospect like Pat Riley, according to league sources.
Redick checked many boxes on his detailed checklist for the Lakers’ next coach.
The team views Redick as a candidate who can maximize the short-term championship window alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis while also driving the long-term culture and sustainability of the Lakers’ next era. He hopes to be a coach who commands the locker room with more authority and holds players accountable better than his two predecessors, Frank Vogel and Davon Hamm.
Redick’s work ethic is unquestionable, especially compared to Ham. One of the common complaints about Hamm internally is his lack of preparation. Instead, Redick has focused heavily on structure and organization, going from dogmatically attempting 342 game-speed shots every day in the offseason as a player to quickly evolving into one of the NBA’s top game analysts and podcasters after retiring in 2021.
Redick’s smarts, insane competitiveness as a 15-year NBA veteran, attention to detail and overall attitude (he said he “likes” players who “have a little bit of that”) are all assets to the Lakers. are attractive qualities. His media savvy wasn’t compromised either, with a wrong answer at a press conference going viral and dominating social media and sports talk shows during a high-profile show.
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If the Lakers hire Redick, it would be a decade-defining bet on his potential. It would also be a departure from the team’s recent coaching decisions. That pedigree is filled with employees with notable ties to the team, from former players like Byron Scott and Luke Walton to former assistants like Ham.
Meanwhile, the exceptions — Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Vogel — are experienced and accomplished coaches. All three were well-received around the league and went on to be hired elsewhere after being fired by the Lakers. They also served as head coaches for at least five seasons and reached the conference finals at least once. D’Antoni was brought in in part because of his relationship with Steve Nash, whom the Lakers acquired before the 2012-13 season.
Redick will enter the NBA coaching ranks in green — he has never coached above the youth level — and has no ties to the Lakers as a former player or coach. Which brings us to the elephant in the room: It’s impossible to discern how much his professional relationship with James factors into the Lakers’ calculations. Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports and James’ agent, said Competitor James was not involved in the coaching search and did not endorse Redick as his preferred candidate.
Rich Paul: “LeBron James doing a podcast with JJ Redick doesn’t mean he wants Redick as head coach.” https://t.co/zexlbbKNpL
— Jovanbuha (@jovanbuha) May 20, 2024
Meanwhile, there was a chemistry between the two co-hosts Attention game The influence of podcasts is clear, especially when analyzing basketball strategy and philosophy. It’s hard to believe that if the Lakers decided to draft Redick, they wouldn’t at least be drafting their franchise player. James has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and the Lakers must at least demonstrate the traits he wants in their new hires. His contributions remain invaluable, especially considering his ability to test free agency this summer.
Redick’s main competition throughout this process, at least over the past few weeks, has been James Borrego. The New Orleans Pelicans associate coach and former Charlotte Hornets head coach met with Lakers stakeholders at the team’s practice facility last week and made an impression during the meeting, league and team sources said. impression. Davis and Borrego briefly overlapped in New Orleans before Davis’ rookie season, and the two have maintained a strong rapport. Both the Lakers and Paul acknowledged that the Lakers should have considered Davis more than James when hiring him, which is part of the reason why Borrego considered it so strongly.
This also illustrates a more important issue: This is not a popular coaching pool. The most accomplished option is Mike Budenholzer, but he has too many similarities to Ham. He also agreed to a deal with his hometown Phoenix Suns. The Lakers’ dream of hiring James’ former coach Tyronn Lue never materialized; after signing a contract extension, he is now the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers for the foreseeable future.
Borrego and Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson were both highly regarded assistant coaches but had sub-.500 records as head coaches and reportedly lost their respective locker rooms in their final seasons. Elevate any of Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micano Nori or Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn to a level they’ve never There is always a degree of risk involved in any position played, especially in a locker room where calling the shots over the last few seasons has been challenging.
That’s not to say hiring Redick is foolproof. His shortcomings are obvious; he’s never coached before. Even Steve Kerr, the popular Redick impersonator, at least had general manager experience in addition to his broadcasting and playing resume before taking over the Warriors in the summer of 2014. box — but the Lakers appear to be interested in him.
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Lakers coaching schedule over the past 12 seasons
There are still several unanswered questions regarding the Lakers and Redick. The Lakers haven’t made an official decision yet, and they don’t appear to be in a rush to do so. Redick serves as ABC’s color commentator for Thursday’s NBA Finals in Boston. There is a feeling around the league that if Redick is hired, he must join the Lakers after the Finals. A quick ascent before the NBA draft isn’t ideal, but it seems like the most likely outcome if Redick is indeed the choice.
In addition, there is the issue of Redick’s coaching staff. According to league sources, assistant coaching candidates will include Borrego, Cassell, former Laker Rajon Rondo, former Laker and current Dallas Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and former head coach and assistant Scott Te Brooks. Sources revealed that if the Lakers hire Redick, they would prefer Borrego and Cassell to become Redick’s staff and serve as senior assistants. The Los Angeles Times first reported the names of the assistant coaching candidates.
Hiring Redick comes with a lot of risk given his lack of experience. On paper, he has a lot of bona fides to be a solid coaching prospect. But it’s hard to predict how much of an impact this will have on the league’s biggest franchises and the most talked-about coaching spots in basketball in a win-now environment from Day One.
Winning early in a coaching tenure doesn’t necessarily mean job security in Los Angeles. Vogel won a championship in his first season and was fired after his third season. Hamm led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals as a first-year head coach but was fired after his second season. Even if Redick succeeds in his coaching debut, the pressure and scrutiny will continue year after year. As the head coach of the Lakers, you rarely have time to breathe.
Redick is aware of the Lakers’ position and the challenges that come with being a first-time NBA head coach, but he is willing to accept them and is preparing accordingly, league sources said. That proactive attitude, combined with his potential and personality, is why he’s the front-runner for the Lakers.
(Above: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
