JJ Redick was seen as a risky hire when the Los Angeles Lakers first decided to name him head coach of the franchise. He had zero prior coaching experience, and many were worried about his ability to lead a team with LeBron James — both a friend and someone his exact age — without losing the locker room like previous coaches had.
But it became clear very quickly that Redick knew what he was doing. During bad stretches at the beginning of the season, James and other players were frequently saying that Redick had them prepared and that they simply weren’t executing, a high show of respect for their coach.
Redick also had to redefine the overall identity of the team three different times during the year as the Lakers made major trades. And while the end result was a first round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, and Redick was far from perfect in the playoffs, it’s clear the Lakers’ roster — not coaching — is what needs a touch-up.
LeBron gave his thoughts on Redick’s rookie campaign as the head coach of the Lakers and why he applauds him for what he did throughout the year.
“I think JJ is going to continue to grow,” James said. “I thought he had a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach. It’s a lot different being a rookie coach. It’s already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers. It’s a whole other ballgame. And I thought he handled it extremely well.
“I thought he just learned every single day. He held us accountable. He pushed us. I thought JJ and his coaching staff were great throughout the whole season. That was pretty cool. So that’s one thing for sure that you guys know for sure and that’s he is a great coach, an up-and-coming coach that will be great for many, many years.”
Redick is going to have high expectations entering Year 2, but also has the confidence of the roster and the entire fanbase. The Lakers definitely need to make some roster improvements in order to contend for a championship, but for the first time in a little while, there are no questions about the coaching.
LeBron James noncommittal about future
LeBron turned back the clock against the Timberwolves, but his heroics weren’t enough as the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs following their loss in Game 5.
This is a rough end to Los Angeles’ season as some considered them to be a legitimate title contender despite remaking their roster on the fly. Now that the Lakers are officially eliminated, it brings James’ future more into focus as he has repeatedly said he won’t play for much longer.
Following elimination, James remained noncommittal about playing next season and said he would take time to discuss his future with his inner circle.
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