There have been plenty of people skeptical about the Los Angeles Lakers’ hire of JJ Redick as their head coach. Critics point to his lack of coaching experience, as well as the fact that he hosted the “Mind the Game” podcast with LeBron James, as reasons why he won’t succeed and why players may not want to play for him.
But Blake Hinson, an undrafted guard the Lakers recently signed, said in an interview with Lakers Nation that Redick is a big reason he chose the Purple and Gold.
Via Lakers Nation:
“As soon as JJ Redick got hired, first of all. Being a great catch-and-shoot person, being an awesome ACC player. I wanted to see if I could be a part of a program he was in control of, that he was the head of,” Hinson said. “So when he first got announced for the job, I thought in my head I really wish I could get an opportunity to be coached under one of the greatest catch-and-shooters ever.
“And then being in a place with such a playmaker like one of the best players ever in LeBron James. It would be a dream come true for a catch-and-shoot shooter like me to be coached by JJ Redick and play with the best playmaker ever. It was a no-brainer for me. So now I’m here trying to work my tail off to get to that point and hopefully I can provide some help.”
While Hinson played poorly in his last two summer league games, he did very well in his first such contest on Saturday. Versus the Sacramento Kings, he went 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, giving him 17 points in just 19 minutes.
Outside shooting is his one strength, so it is no wonder he was attracted to L.A. by Redick, who was one of the NBA’s better 3-point shooter during his playing career.