The Los Angeles Lakers tried to hire Dan Hurley from UConn but failed, so they chose LeBron James’ podcast partner instead.
JJ Redick has been signed on a four-year contract to be the new head coach of the Lakers.
Redick’s Lack of Coaching Experience
Redick is famous for his podcasts and ESPN broadcasting, but he has never coached a team. His popular shows like “The Old Man and the Three” are great, but talking about basketball isn’t the same as coaching it. This move feels like giving an actor a huge budget to direct their first film . The Lakers are taking a big risk with this decision.
Fans might think this is a strange choice for such an important role.
Steve Nash and Derek Fisher also struggled in their first coaching jobs. While Larry Bird and Steve Kerr found success, they had years working in NBA offices before coaching. Learning to coach at this level is tough without experience.
The Lakers’ Roster Issues
LeBron James is amazing, and Anthony Davis has been an All-Star nine times. But even with both healthy last season, the Lakers only managed eighth place and one playoff win. Redick now leads a team that was average in both offense (15th) and defense (16th). LeBron will turn 40 soon, which adds more challenges.
Former coaches Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel weren’t necessarily bad strategists; they just couldn’t meet the high expectations that come with coaching the Lakers. Maybe Redick can connect better with veteran players, but he can’t make LeBron younger or improve their defense magically.
Coaching LeBron James
LeBron has had many coaches during his time with the Lakers—Redick will be his fourth in six seasons. Coaching LeBron comes with little patience; anything less than winning it all is seen as failure. Even winning didn’t secure long-term jobs for past coaches like Frank Vogel.
Since Phil Jackson left in 2011, the Lakers have had eight head coaches! This shows how impatient both James and the franchise can be. Redick’s contract is cheaper compared to what was offered to Dan Hurley ($32M over four years vs $70M over six years), meaning it’s easier for them to replace him if things go south quickly.
Of note: Redick is signing a four-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $8 million per season with the Lakers, according to sources briefed on the deal.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha)
In conclusion, while Redick might surprise everyone by succeeding as a rookie coach for such a high-profile team, he’s facing very tough odds stacked against him from day one.
What do you think? Will JJ Redick prove everyone wrong?
