The Los Angeles Lakers took a chance when they hired JJ Redick. He comes to the franchise with no prior coaching experience at any level and has never worked on a coaching staff, so Redick has surrounded himself with experts, including Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks.
However, if things don’t work out as planned, Redick’s reputation will be tarnished. According to Jeanie Buss, the Lakers management is willing to be patient. They want Redick to implement a new system that not only improves the current rotation, but also helps develop the team’s younger talent. Buss understands that these changes take time. Implementing a new system was also one of the main reasons the team decided not to go for it. Initially they tried to sign Dan Hurley.
“We wanted to think differently,” Buss said. during an appearance on LA AM 570“He definitely has a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about basketball, but we were looking for someone who would bring something different and really invest in developing young players. JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want the work to speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it up and say it’s going to be a masterstroke. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish.”
Redick will bring a plethora of new ideas to the Lakers. He has quickly built a reputation for himself as a high-IQ basketball player, thanks to his work with LeBron James on the “Mind The Game” podcast. However, drawing plays on a whiteboard and making them work against a live defense of world-class athletes is a different challenge.
The rookie head coach has already received praise for his change how the Lakers’ training sessions are going, He focuses on ball work rather than stagnant drills. Still, any significant changes he makes, especially in talent development, will take time to bear fruit. Buss and the Lakers management are clearly aware of their new path. As such, they need to give Redick several seasons before his work can be judged.
Of course, when you’re coaching in Lakerland, time is a scarce commodity. Redick knew that when he took the job. Both sides took a risk with the move, but Buss is saying the right things for now. We’ll get a better sense of how honest she is when the Lakers inevitably hit a rough patch this coming season.
