Following the end of the 2023-24 season, the Lakers fired Darvin Ham and appointed JJ Redick as the franchise’s new head coach. The move surprised many, as the former Clippers star has no experience as a coach. Some believe that he’s being set up for failure, but Mike Krzyzewski is confident about the rookie head coach’s chances of succeeding especially if LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain healthy.
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In a conversation with Jim Rome, Coach K shot down rumors that he played a role in the Lakers hiring Redick. However, he admitted that he discussed his prospects as a coach with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who is his close friend. The former Team USA coach believes that the 40-year-old has the tools to succeed as a head coach.
His ambitious nature along with his high basketball IQ would go a long way in ensuring he thrives in his new role. Coach K claimed that Reddick did not choose a head coaching job for the money but was pursuing it devotedly. He told Rome,
“I think he’ll be terrific. JJ is so intense and he is and so competitive. He is a student of the game. He passionately wanted to coach. This wasn’t some whim.”
Coach K lauded the Lakers’ front office for surrounding Redick with stellar assistant coaches like Scott Brooks, Nate McMillan, and Lindsey Harding. Brooks and McMillan have experience as head coaches whereas Harding was the 2023-24 G-League Coach of the Year.
The 77-year-old acknowledged that LA is the most demanding market in the NBA, but still liked Redick’s chances of handling the pressure and succeeding. The former Duke coach added that Davis and James’ health will determine how well the Lakers and their new head coach do next season. He said,
“You guys there in LA, I think that’s the most intense media market for a coach and I think he’ll be able to handle that. He’ll handle it a lot better if Anthony Davis and LeBron James stay healthy for 82 games.”
"[JJ Redick] passionately wanted to coach… I think [LA's] the most intense media market for a coach… He'll handle it a hell of a lot better if Anthony [Davis] & LeBron stay healthy for 82 games."
Coach K on JJ coaching the Lakers.
(via @jimrome)pic.twitter.com/xjTueazGfl
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 31, 2024
Coach K’s assessment is reassuring for many Lakers fans as he is one of the most respected coaches in basketball history. There has been skepticism about Redick’s ability to guide the franchise. He has never held any coaching position before even at the high school level, so he has been parachuted into unfamiliar territory.
But at the same time, he was in the league just three years ago and is well-acquainted with the modern pace-and-space style of the league. He is also revered for his deep understanding of the game’s nuances, which he showed off on his podcast The Old Man and the Three and in his stint as an analyst and commentator on ESPN.
Redick has Coach K’s backing. However, he’ll be constantly under the kosh in his maiden voyage as a head coach in the NBA.
