The Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching search is ramping up with each passing day. It was reported on Tuesday that they have started interviewing candidates such as James Borrego, Sam Cassell and JJ Redick.
Redick has emerged as perhaps the favorite to win the job, and in the process, he has become somewhat of a polarizing candidates. Proponents point out his excellent understanding of the game of basketball, something he has displayed as a member of ESPN’s NBA broadcast crew and as LeBron James’ co-host on the “Mind the Game” podcast.
But others believe hiring Redick could turn into a mess because he has no coaching experience at either the pro or college level and because he may not be able or willing to hold James, his friend, accountable.
Still, the Lakers are reportedly “infatuated with Redick’s potential” and even view him in the mold of a young Pat Riley (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via The Athletic:
“Leaguewide, Redick — a former player and media analyst — has garnered buzz for the position,” Shams Charania and Jovan Buha wrote. “The Lakers are infatuated with Redick’s potential, according to league sources, viewing him as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect who could both help the franchise in the short term and lead it for years.”
Riley, of course, is seen as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, especially in the Lakers’ universe. He became the team’s head coach early in the 1981-82 season, and it won the world championship that very season. Three more rings followed in the span of four seasons, starting with the 1984-85 campaign, making the 1980s a Laker decade.
However, there are a couple of key differences here.
For starters, Riley served as an assistant coach under Paul Westhead for a couple of seasons before he was promoted to head coach. That included the 1979-80 season when Los Angeles won it all with a rookie named Magic Johnson leading the way.
Riley also inherited a squad in November 1981 that had recently won it all and had a brilliant team leader, Johnson. All it needed was a brilliant bench leader who would unlock their potential and keep them motivated and focused.
The Lakers’ current roster is good, but not good enough to compete for the NBA title. Furthermore, if Redick will give James carte blanche, it could create a very toxic situation as far as leadership and team harmony are concerned.