The Los Angeles Lakers recently held a press conference where their new head coach, JJ Redick got a chance to talk to the media. After the successful completion of the event, Skip Bayless seemed really impressed with the way Redick conducted himself. However, on the recent episode of UNDISPUTED, Bayless warned Redick that the real task for him starts now.
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The media veteran gave major props to Rob Pelinka for making some brilliant decisions for the franchise in the last two years. He admitted that the Lakers GM has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of the roster. Bayless said that the Lakers went through a lot of turmoil before finalizing their head coach, but they have now landed a great candidate who can make them a better team.
However, that task isn’t going to be easy.
Bayless recalled Pelinka’s remark about Redick from the press conference where he said that he believes the new HC is going to be the difference maker for the franchise. But that’s where Bayless is a little skeptical.
The FS1 host said, “How would JJ know how to teach basketball? He’s never taught it to it anybody except the third and fourth grade…I don’t know if it translates to a soon to be 40-year-old in LeBron James.”
JJ Redick won that press conference. He's very bright and witty. He was prepared, but now, real life starts. https://t.co/gKoTo2eS99
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 25, 2024
After claiming on the show that the Lakers ended up with Redick because their previous tricks didn’t work, Bayless took to his personal social media to add another comment.
He wrote on his X account, “JJ Redick won that press conference. He’s very bright and witty. He was prepared, but now, real life starts.”
So, for Bayless, the bottom-line is that the Lakers HC’s charming personality and PR skills is a bonus for sure, but Redick needs to get to work. Something that a lot of other people have said about the Lakers as well.
Magic Johnson listed out Rob Pelinka’s next big challenge
As one of the all-time greats in the franchise’s history, Magic Johnson was happy about the appointment of Redick. But he also tried to shed light on the challenges down the road.
He wrote, “Naming a head coach was just the first step. Even bigger than naming JJ Reddick as the Head Coach, Rob Pelinka’s next step must be to improve the roster if we are going to compete against all the powerhouse teams in the West like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns, Thunder, Spurs, and the Clippers.”
The emphasis on improving the Lakers roster has been common feedback. As for their next big move, the LA side needs to sign some defensively sound athletes to improve the quality of the team.
