Coming into this season, arguably the biggest question surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers was how new head coach JJ Redick would perform. A big deal was made about the fact that Redick had never been a head coach at any level prior to the Lakers hiring him and stepping into the role with a franchise like L.A. is a very difficult task for anyone, let alone a first timer.
While there were some struggles along the way, as is to be expected, Redick ultimately proved himself to be more than fit for the job. His preparation and game-planning were top notch and though the Lakers technically only improved by three wins from last season, they were clearly a much-improved unit, winning the Pacific Division and securing the third seed in an extremely competitive Western Conference.
Aside from Redick, there were a lot of excellent coaching jobs throughout the NBA this season and the NBA Coach of the Year voting was proof of that. The league announced Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson as the winner of the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year Award while Redick finished sixth overall:
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Award.
The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ic00MtHPzq
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 5, 2025
Atkinson was more than deserving of the award for what he did with the Cavaliers as they made a 16-win improvement and secured the top seed in the East. Both JB Bickerstaff and Ime Udoka, who were second and third, respectively, took their teams from the lottery to the postseason and Mark Daigneault had the Thunder looking like the best team in the NBA for nearly the entire season. Tyronn Lue also did an outstanding job with the Clippers who many wrote off coming into the season following the departure of Paul George.
Redick undoubtedly deserves a lot of credit for the job he did under immense pressure, not to mention adapting on the fly following the Lakers’ midseason acquisition of Luka Doncic. Now, the goal will be to grow and learn from this first year and be even better next season.
Rob Pelinka backs JJ Redick as Lakers coach going forward
Obviously JJ Redick’s first season didn’t end the way he wanted as the Lakers were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Some of Redick’s decisions in the series were called into question with some wondering whether he is capable of leading the Lakers to a championship in the future, but Rob Pelinka isn’t one of them.
Pelinka credited Redick for everything he brought to the Lakers in his first season as head coach and added that his level of confidence couldn’t be higher in him.
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