Darvin Ham is out of the Lakers’ picture now. While analysts and fans have begun articulating the next choice for the position, JJ Redick’s name has sprung up continuously. Owing to his association with LeBron James via the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, many consider it a deal-clincher. However, 3x Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams doesn’t agree with the popular opinion.
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He doesn’t believe that the 39-year-old has the experience to deal with the locker room situation. The former Clippers star claimed that Redick is still not well-equipped to deal with the locker room situations, and the high pressure that comes with coaching a high-market team like the Lakers. On the ‘Run It Back’ pod, Williams expressed that Redick may not be ready to coach the Lakers,
“There’s no chance that JJ Redick is going to be able to command that locker room. Yeah, him and LeBron, sitting and drinking wine together, breaking down plays but it is different when 20,000 people screaming at you and you gotta 11 other players you gotta manage as well.”
"There's no chance that JJ Redick is going to be able to command that locker room…There's only one person that I could see managing this, and I hate to say it, it's gonna be Ty Lue."@TeamLou23 reacts to the #Lakers head coach search.
📺: https://t.co/oxMs3CAEGu pic.twitter.com/Pqr7yotRb2
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 6, 2024
As per Sweet Lou, Tyronn Lue is the perfect fit for the job since he is known for his high-quality communication with players. He also prefers Lue over any other coaching candidate because he led LeBron James to the NBA Finals for three straight years and has extensive experience in handling the King,
“He’s been there already with LeBron. He has already had the experience, he has already shared the locker room with him and been able to manage him and win a championship with him.”
While Williams isn’t sold on the idea of Redick being the helmsman for the Lakers, Skip Bayless viewed the situation differently. He likened JJ Redick’s appearance to Pat Riley and found him a perfect fit for the Los Angeles Hollywood culture.
Skip Bayless looks at both sides of the coin
On ‘Undisputed’, Bayless likened Redick to Pat Riley. Since Riley coached the ShowTime Lakers to five champions, Redick’s facial resemblance does bring in the vibes of the 3x COTY.
Meanwhile, he also pointed out the chemistry between Redick and LeBron James during the Mind the Game podcast. Despite these two factors, he considers Redick a “high risk, high reward” pick because he lacks the experience to command a team,
“His connection with LeBron James seems pretty strong because they are vibing on this podcast. It fits the mold, it fits the image of Hollywood LA Lakers, right?…Maybe high reward but it is high risk because who knows how he would function as a head coach of the team, as a commanding officer.”
While JJ Redick doesn’t have the experience as an HC, his potential is landing him in the rumors. Recently, the Charlotte Hornets interviewed the former Clippers sharpshooter for the HC job. The Lakers are considering the keen basketball mind because of the reputation he has built in the league.
