After only two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach Darvin Ham was ultimately relieved of his duties. After going through another coaching search, it appears that former player and current ESPN color commentator JJ Redick is the obvious frontrunner to be the next coach of the franchise.
That naturally brings up some concerns due to Redick having not coached above a youth level. Making for a massive jump to coaching an NBA team, let alone a prestigious one like the Lakers, will not be an easy task. Experience was a trait that general manager Rob Pelinka and other decision makers were looking for in a candidate, but this market does not feature glamorous options for L.A.
However, a characteristic that is appealing to Pelinka and co. is Redick’s work ethic, a trait that Ham lacked in terms of preparing on a game-to-game basis, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
There are no doubts about Redick’s work ethic, particularly in comparison to Ham’s. One of the common internal complaints with Ham was his lack of preparation. Conversely, Redick is obsessively structured and organized, from dogmatically attempting 342 game-speed shots every day during the offseason as a player to swiftly developing into one of the game’s premier NBA analysts and podcasters after retiring in 2021.
Redick’s intelligence, maniacal competitiveness as a 15-year NBA veteran, attention to detail and overall attitude (he’s said he “loves” players who have “a little s— to them”) all are appealing traits for the Lakers. His media savvy doesn’t hurt, either, in a high-profile gig where the wrong answer in a press conference will go viral and lead social media and sports talk shows for days.
While it is still a risk to hire Redick, looking at how he analyzes games and dissects sets on the “Mind The Game” podcast, he is definitely knowledgeable about basketball. Assuming he gets the job, it will be intriguing to see how and if that translates into an NBA locker room.
While Ham was flawed and struggled to adapt to certain circumstances, L.A. needs Redick to not repeat those same mistakes given the closing championship window they have. Work ethic is a trait that is needed, but the Lakers are in a results business and Redick will need to provide those sooner rather than later.
Hope is JJ Redick can be long-term fit as Lakers head coach
When embarking on this head coaching search, the Lakers needed to make sure this new hire would be able to last more than two or three seasons. Assuming JJ Redick gets the job, hope is he will be a long-term fit as a head coach.
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