The Los Angeles Lakers’ greatest transfer this summer season was overhauling their teaching workers. Out went Darvin Ham, and in got here JJ Redick as the brand new head coach, together with veteran assistants Scotty Brooks, Nate McMillan and Lindsey Harding.
Whereas Redick had an extended and spectacular profession, and was a rising star within the media world, he had no prior teaching expertise. So why would the Lakers, with all of their expectations, hand him the reins for the previous couple of years of the LeBron James period?
Lakers proprietor Jeanie Buss shared some perception into the choice on Thursday throughout an look with native Los Angeles radio present “Petros and Cash.”
“We needed to sort of suppose a unique method,” Buss stated. “Actually, he is bought a imaginative and prescient. I am not comfy speaking in regards to the basketball stuff, however we had been in search of a candidate that may deliver one thing totally different and actually put money into growing younger gamers. JJ is the best particular person for us. Once more, I simply need to work to essentially communicate for itself, so I do not need to hype it and say it is gonna be a house run. We’ve got to offer him time to ascertain what he desires to ascertain.
“I am actually impressed along with his workers. Proper now, it isn’t necessary for the gamers to come back in and observe however gamers are coming in and figuring out. The teaching workers with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, there’s a whole lot of expertise that shall be there for him to make that adjustment to being a head coach. Definitely a 12-year profession within the league, he is bought a whole lot of expertise. He is aware of what this league is about and I believe he’ll be an incredible chief.”
Buss’ feedback are notable, not only for this season, however the future.
The Lakers had been, in some methods, caught within the stone age beneath Darvin Ham. They had been fourth in post-up possessions per sport final season (7.3), twenty eighth in 3-point makes an attempt (31.4), twenty ninth in offensive rebounding fee (24.4) and completed fifteenth in offensive ranking (115.4). Redick has already assured that can change.
“I’ll use math,” Redick stated throughout his introductory press convention earlier this summer season. He desires his group to shoot extra 3s, crash the offensive glass and run extra organized units. All instructed, his analytically-driven philosophy is completely totally different than what the Lakers have had in recent times.
Seeking to the long run, participant growth is one other key for Redick. His dedication to that facet of the sport is why the Lakers believe that he may be their chief now, and after LeBron James retires.
“The pursuit of greatness cannot be depressing,” Redick stated. “Day-after-day that someone walks on this constructing, they should get pleasure from it. I believe a part of being a coach, proper, is, like, ‘Can I maximize every participant?’ That helps maximize the group. And does all people within the constructing, not simply the gamers and workers, does all people within the constructing get pleasure from coming to work every single day? That is kind of on me to create that tradition.”
Whether or not Redick shall be a profitable coach stays to be seen, nevertheless it’s clear that he, and the group, have a imaginative and prescient in place.
