Will JJ Redick be the new Lakers coach? There is an opportunity thanks to the firing of Darvin Ham on Friday afternoon.
Redick already being linked to work: Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jovan Buha reported which will be included as part of “a comprehensive search.” He has also been interested in head coaching jobs before.
The one from the Lakers would be attractive. Redick would have a roster good enough to compete for a championship in a prestigious franchise, and he could preside over the end of LeBron James’ career.
Those two have discussed the game on numerous occasions as part of their joint “Mind the Game” podcast project. Could Redick become the first podcast host to coach his partner?
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Why the Lakers should hire JJ Redick
Being James’ head coach is not easy. Whoever is hired will be his fourth coach alone in Los Angeles and the tenth in his career.
Frank Vogel won a championship and lasted three years. Ham made it to the Western Conference Finals and lasted two. Even the all-time great Erik Spoelstra did not escape unscathed. There was a point where LeBron wanted to get fired. This job is not for the faint of heart.
The most important factor in coaching a team led by LeBron James is earning their trust. Once that goes away, the coach becomes a walking dead man.
Redick already has that bullet point down. The two clearly respect each other and James enjoys Redick. They know how to work together.
However, Redick isn’t just a LeBron yes man. He has a legitimate resume to become a head coach, starting with his 15 years of NBA experience. He has learned from some of the best coaches, including Duke Coach K, Stan Van Gundy, Scott Skiles, Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle.
Redick also knows his X’s and O’s very well, as evidenced by his podcasting and streaming skills. That has sparked interest in him for other jobs, including the current opening with the Hornets and the Raptors job last year.
Some might blame Redick’s age. He is only 39 years old and has a few seasons left to play. But the league’s youngest coaches have been among the best.
Mark Daigneault is coming off a Coach of the Year award at the same age and Joe Mazzulla led the Celtics to the best record in the league this season at age 35.
The league is becoming more and more player-driven and having a coach who can relate to the staff on the roster is a big plus. Just look at the extinguished flame of John Beilein, a legendary college coach who didn’t understand the NBA lifestyle, as an example.
Redick understands the rigors of the NBA better than anyone. He is clearly a good communicator and knows strategy inside and out. Those are the most important elements of the job. He would need to have some experienced assistant coaches to guide him, but he could be the leader who brings everyone together.
Why the Lakers shouldn’t hire JJ Redick
Redick’s inexperience is obviously the biggest factor against him. This is the most scrutinized job in the entire league. There will be a learning curve and the Lakers don’t have time for him to grow into that role.
The track record of former players moving directly into the head coaching position is not great.
Chauncey Billups had one year as an assistant before being hired to coach the Blazers in 2022. They have gone 81-165 since being given the job. Earl Watson was in a similar situation with the Suns in 2016: he lasted 118 games and left on bad terms with a 33-85 record.
Steve Nash, signed by the Nets in 2021, is the most prominent example and has many parallels to Redick’s situation. He was thrown into a job with extreme pressure and many egos to manage. Nash couldn’t do the job (and maybe no one could), and he was fired just 161 games into the job.
There are some success stories. The most notable is Steve Kerr, who went from the broadcast booth directly to four championships with the Warriors.
Kerr had the advantage of a veteran roster and, of course, generational players. Redick would have the same, which could help him avoid the fate of coaches like Billups, Nash, Watson, Isaiah Thomas and Jason Kidd when he was first hired by the Nets.
But do the Lakers want to take that risk? There will be coaches lined up for this job. Mike Budenholzer is a proven winner and a much better known product, for example. As public as Redick is, there is always something unknown with new head coaches. They learned that the hard way with Ham: would they risk repeating that mistake?
