People are clearly split on whether JJ Redick will succeed as the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach. He has been lauded for his basketball intelligence and acumen, but others feel he simply isn’t ready to be an NBA head coach because he hasn’t paid his dues as an assistant yet.
Some have also accused Redick of being arrogant and prickly. Adam Lefkoe recently said people around the league want him to be humbled, not because they personally want him to fail but because it simply isn’t that easy to be a head coach.
Of course, there is also the fact that Redick co-hosted a podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James called “Mind the Game,” which made some wonder if he could objectively coach the 39-year-old.
During their coaching search, the Lakers reportedly leaned on the advice of Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary retired Duke University coach. He coached Redick when Redick was in college, and he had some complimentary things to say about the former sharpshooter while on “The Herd w/ Colin Cowherd.”
Mike Krzyzewski discusses JJ Redick coaching the Lakers:
"He's prepared as well as any player I've coached at Duke… I think he has empathy for what a roster would look like." pic.twitter.com/Khm99i34YM
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 30, 2024
“For me, JJ is amazingly competitive, and is prepared as well as any player I’ve coached at Duke,” said Krzyzewski. “He’s smart, he’s confident and he understands the game and having 15 years of being a pro, he has empathy for the guy trying to make it when he’s trying to make and makes it, and for the veteran who is still trying to make it. … I think he has empathy for what a roster would look like.”
Since Redick has the stamp of approval of someone like Krzyzewski, fans should feel a little more confident that he can make it as the Lakers’ bench leader despite his real and supposed deficits.
It is true he has chosen the most stressful head coaching job in any major pro sport, but he just may have enough of what it takes to get the most out of the Lakers’ roster.