You might remember some measure of controversy when the Los Angeles Lakers landed on JJ Redick as their new head coach.
You might remember the Lakers defending the hire of a coach whose previous coaching experience consisted of his son’s youth basketball team, buttressed by three years as an ESPN broadcaster and podcaster, following a 15-year playing career in the NBA.
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It’s possible you remember it, but something tells us Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch definitely does.
During an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show,” Finch — who incidentally worked as a coach in the NBA and other professional leagues for 24 years before getting the T-Wolves job — introduced himself to the audience with one heck of a zinger.
“I bet you three quarters of these people are going to go home and do a podcast tonight,” Finch said. “I mean, it’ll qualify you to coach the Lakers.”
That line got a delighted response from the live audience, while Lowe only responded with an uneasy grin to his co-host and “It’s fair.”
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It should probably be noted that this seemed to be more playful than vicious on Finch’s part, but it’s still likely going to land as a brutal shot for some people. It can’t be denied it comes from a place of truth, as the Lakers hiring a coaching novice who also happened to be LeBron James’ podcasting partner remains one of the wilder swings in the recent history of NBA coaching hires.
JJ Redick hasn’t been the disaster some worried when the Lakers hired him. He’s still going to be the butt of a few jokes. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Harry How via Getty Images)
Has the hire worked out? Well, the Lakers went 50-32 last season but were running on fumes come playoff time, with Finch’s Timberwolves knocking them out in five games in the first round. In one game, Redick used the same quintet of players for the entire second half, then chafed when asked about it later.
This season, the team is 8-4 despite missing James, with two wins over Minnesota. Of course, any evaluation of Redick’s hire has to come with the note that the Lakers completely changed course as a franchise with the Luka Dončić trade, which has become increasingly infamous for the Dallas Mavericks and increasingly funny for Los Angeles.
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There have certainly been complaints about Redick along the way, but he’s certainly doing better than some of the other coaches who were hired with his level of experience. Still, the jokes will continue until the Lakers do something in the playoffs that make them feared again.