When the Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick as their next head coach, it was evident there needed to be a change in approach. L.A. never earned a reputation for developing young talent, but under this new CBA, every team needs to make use of players on rookie deals. And he was clear about the role the South Bay Lakers would play in that.
Rookie Adou Thiero, Bronny James, Drew Timme and Nick Smith Jr. are the current focus group of the Lakers’ development program. All four of them have put on impressive performances for the South Bay Lakers throughout various points of the G League season, leading them to a franchise-record 11th straight win, secured Friday night.
In Friday’s win against the Iowa Wolves, Smith and Thiero led the way with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Kobe Bufkin added 16 while Bronny had 13. Prior to the win, when they were sitting on 10 straight wins, Redick spoke about the importance of the G League team.
“We’re all one team,” Redick said. “We talk about that all the time. I think Zach (Guthrie) has done a fantastic job of coaching our players. The G League is in place for development. It was literally called the Development League. It used to be called the D League, which a lot of people forget… So it’s just been an incredible opportunity for our guys to develop. I thought Bronny had just a fantastic year last year, Adou has done some really good things down there, it’s given our two-way guys a chance to get runs when they’re not with us. You look at the roster they have when we have some of our rostered guys down there with all three of our two-ways, it’s a really good team, and Zach has really coached not only the team well, but he’s really coached our guys well and they’ve really bought in.”
Dating back to its time as the D League, it was viewed as a demotion or a negative thing for players. However, the G League’s perception flipped with lottery talent coming from the G League Ignite and plenty of two-way players earning guaranteed deals.
For the Lakers moving forward, hopefully Thiero and James can use their time in South Bay as building blocks for a successful NBA career. Plus, potentially changing their organizational perception of not developing rookies or young talent.
JJ Redick commends LeBron James’ sacrifice to help Lakers
Amidst the Lakers’ recent stretch of winning, speculation surrounded whether LeBron James adds to this team. Upon his return against the Chicago Bulls, James clearly deferred to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to not interfere with their play.
JJ Redick spoke to his 41-year-old star about his role and commended James’ willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
