The hunt for the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers keeps coming back to JJ Redick, even though the former NBA star doesn’t have any relevant coaching experience on his resume. Some media members aren’t fond of the JJ narrative being thrown around. After Kevin Garnett snubbed Redick, choosing Sam Cassell over him, Rachel Nichols also discarded his name from the contenders’ list while vouching for a more experienced NBA veteran.
Advertisement
On the recent episode of ‘UNDISPUTED’, Nichols said that she understands why Redick has seemingly become the frontrunner for such an important job. As of now, it does seem like he will be with the franchise only because of his close ties with the Lakers superstar LeBron James.
However, for Nichols, coaching a legacy team like the Lakers, which also happens to be full of stars, is for someone like Sam Cassell who has credible experience as a coach. She added that if personal feelings and relations are taken out of the equation, Cassell will be the unanimous choice based on the available options,
“Sam Cassell is so popular on every staff he has been on…The lightness that Sam brings when you are out on the court with those guys in those pregame moments, they laugh, they like him, they respect him, they love what he did when he was a player.”
.@Rachel__Nichols believes the Lakers should give Sam Cassell a shot over JJ Redick 👀 pic.twitter.com/5zaajlr8dq
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) May 16, 2024
Cassell has been an assistant coach for four teams in the league since 2009 and he has worked under legendary coaches like the late Flip Saunders, Doc Rivers, and Joe Mazzulla. He is currently an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics.
As a player, his resume is even better as he has won three NBA titles and made one All-Star appearance. All of these elements are missing from Redick’s portfolio. Additionally, Nichols isn’t the only one who feels the job should go to the 54-year-old instead of Redick.
Kevin Garnett is furious over JJ Redick being the popular choice
There are two sides to this problem. One is where people like KG and Nichols are arguing for someone with credibility to take up the head coach position in LA, and the other, is where LeBron James and his affiliation with Redick outweigh the other narrative. Garnett isn’t pleased by the way the popular notion is taking over this debate. He recently took to his Instagram story to express his disappointment.
KG shared a post on his IG story about the strengthening rumor regarding Redick and the Lakers getting close to finalizing a deal. He wrote, “If this mf can get a job fresh off the bench, then why can’t my guy Sam Cassell get one too.”
KG goes off on JJ potentially being the Lakers' new head coach pic.twitter.com/NCRZ2jbSUB
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) May 16, 2024
Even though KG is also rooting for someone he is close with, at least in his scenario, the concerned person is also qualified on paper to take up the job. The franchise is still to decide on this. If Redick is selected for the position, it can go either side. Maybe their chemistry translates to the court and the team, producing the desired results in the coming season. Only time will tell.
