JJ Redick is Not What the Lakers Need Right Now

I find it fascinating and incredibly frustrating that the Lakers are seriously considering hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach. Let’s discuss.

This is the Lakers we are talking about here. They are the most storied franchise in the history of the NBA. They have had greats as their head coach. From Pat Riley to Phil Jackson to Magic Johnson to Paul Westhead. These are geniuses, Magic being a genius on the court, he was an awful head coach. But Paul Westhead, he revolutionized the game in the 70's. Pat Riley took over and won titles. Phil Jackson got Kobe and Shaq to work it out and win titles. These are some possible Mt Rushmore guys we are talking about here. And they are now in long, extended interviews with JJ Redick, who to the best of my knowledge, has not coached on any level.

Redick was a fine, run of the mill role player. He could shoot the three and hustle. That was what kept him around for so long. But he never won a title as a player. He was never an all star. He was never close to being all NBA. He was not a guy that you built a team around. And as an analyst, he is your typical hot take guy. He is like Pat McAfee, maybe just a little less annoying. He goes on shows and talks about "when he was a player" in reference to co-hosts who never played basketball professionally. He also has a podcasting empire, where he has a show that he and LeBron James host together. I tried listening to it because I like to hear LeBron talk basketball. And while they are both knowledgeable, it is boring as hell. And just because JJ Redick can sit there and shoot the shit with LeBron about some film they are both looking at, that doesn't make him a good coach.

Coaches are needed for different things now. This is a player empowerment era, which I am totally here for. But coaches kind of have to fit players. There are few coaches that can come in and run the team the way they envision. Frank Vogel, who was the coach of the Lakers in 2020, won a title and was just let go by the Suns after only one season. Darvin Ham, who led the Lakers to the West Finals last season, was fired after this season, and people were thrilled. The Bucks let go of their coach midway through the season, and they were 20 games above .500. Coaches have to know how to work for, not with, superstar players. You need a guy like Phil Jackson or Greg Poppovich. Mike Brown had to go through being an assistant again before he was able to get hired as a head coach, by the Kings. There is a lot more than just X's and O's that go into being a head coach now.

If the Lakers do hire JJ Redick, how is it going to be any different than when the Nets hired Steve Nash? That was who KD, Kyrie and Harden wanted. They got rid of a coach that took a Bad News Bears type of roster to the playoffs because he didn't vibe with the new stars. As for Nash, he never won a ring, seemed confused at times and was let go before he finished his second year. Who's to say that won't happen with Redick if he gets the job and the Lakers start next season 8-12 after 20 games. The West is only getting harder and harder, and LeBron is only getting older, and AD is one injury away from missing half the year. The Lakers don't have money or picks to get more stars. I keep saying that they can trade for Donovan Mitchell or Dejounte Murray. I ask, why would the Hawks or Cavs trade them away for future picks and league minimum players? They both have playoff aspirations, and you don't have to trade with the Lakers just because they are the Lakers. That is not how the NBA works anymore.

I don't think it would be in LeBron's or the Lakers front office best interest to hire JJ Redick. Just because he is friends with LeBron, and can talk shit on tv, doesn't make him a good head coach. That doesn't mean he can build the right staff around him. I would like to give the Lakers the benefit of the doubt and say they will hire someone else. But with each passing day, the Lakers naming JJ Redick their next coach seem likier and likier. And that feels off. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.