While many seem to agree that JJ Redick did a good job overall with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first year as an NBA head coach, the jury still seems to be out on him as far as whether he’s a good enough coach to guide them to a world championship.
He did make a costly mistake in Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series versus the Minnesota Timberwolves when he played just five men in the second half. That five-man unit’s effectiveness evaporated down the stretch like the marine layer on a hot Southern California day, and the Lakers ended up losing, 116-113, and falling behind three games to one in the series.
But if anyone still doubts whether Redick deserves the job, one can be sure he will still be holding it this fall. General manager Rob Pelinka expressed the utmost confidence in the former sharpshooter and podcaster just after the team’s season ended.
Via NBA.com:
“JJ brought just a complete revival of energy and incredibly hard work ethic, attention to detail, a spirit to our team, to our group, to our franchise as a rookie coach that we haven’t seen in a long time,” Pelinka said. “Our level of confidence, my level of confidence couldn’t be higher. He’s a great partner to work with. He’s an incredible basketball mind and I know that every year for him will be things to celebrate and learning lessons. That’s just who he is. That’s exciting for the Lakers, for our fan base and for our future.”
The Lakers reportedly signed Redick to a four-year contract worth a total of $32 million last June, even though he had no prior coaching experience of any kind at either the pro or college levels. He had previously been an analyst for ESPN and co-hosted the “Mind the Game” podcast along with LeBron James last season.
Redick, 40, had a 15-year career as an NBA player, and he made a good living as a deadly 3-point shooter. It is thought that his experience in the league as a 3-point specialist has at least somewhat influenced his coaching philosophies on offense, especially since Los Angeles started to become a high-volume 3-point shooting team after the Luka Doncic trade in February.