The Los Angeles Lakers took a big risk when they brought in JJ Redick to replace Darvin Ham as their head coach.
Redick is known for having a high basketball IQ and showed as much during his time in the media, but he has never coached before at any level other than his children’s youth games.
The Lakers are in win-now mode considering LeBron James is entering his 22nd NBA season and Anthony Davis is in his 13th, which means there will be a lot of pressure on Redick to come in and turn things around right away.
L.A. didn’t really make any roster changes coming off their first-round playoff exit, so the addition of Redick was the only big move they made this offseason.
Even though expectations are high though, Lakers legend Magic Johnson urged fans to be patient with Redick, via Sports Central LA with Jim Hill:
“We as Lakers fans gotta give JJ Redick, our new coach, some time to really help him understand how to utilize the talent, how to coach the talent, and then also what schemes will work, and what schemes won’t work. Because this is not going to be easy for him. But I think having LeBron as your captain [helps] and one of the greatest that’s ever laced them up in AD, and they showed Laker fans and basketball fans around the world what they’re capable of doing in the Olympics.”
Since Phil Jackson retired in 2011, the Lakers have now had seven full-time head coaches with Luke Walton lasting the longest at 246 games. Frank Vogel won a championship in 2020 and was fired two years later. Ham took L.A. to the Western Conference Finals in his first year but was out after just two total seasons.
All of that to say that patience isn’t exactly something the Lakers typically practice when it comes to head coaches.
Since they hired Redick though, Rob Pelinka and the front office has stressed the need to build a program and develop players due to the parameters of the NBA’s new CBA. With that being the case, perhaps Redick’s leash is longer than the coaches that came before him.
If things go south quickly though then Redick could end up being the fall guy, which Johnson is clearly hoping doesn’t happen.
As a former Lakers player, coach and executive himself, Johnson is well-aware of the pressure that comes with being in the prestigious organization, so it is good to see him giving Redick support from the jump.
Jeanie Buss on Lakers’ hiring of JJ Redick
Speaking for the first time this offseason, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss discussed the team’s hiring of JJ Redick and why he’s the right man for the job.
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