The Los Angeles Lakers’ largest transfer this summer season was overhauling their teaching employees. 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 a protracted 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 special means,” Buss stated. “Actually, he is received a imaginative and prescient. I am not comfy speaking concerning the basketball stuff, however we had been searching for a candidate that might carry one thing totally different and actually put money into creating younger gamers. JJ is the proper particular person for us. Once more, I simply wish to work to actually communicate for itself, so I do not wish to hype it and say it is gonna be a house run. We’ve to present him time to determine what he needs to determine.
“I am actually impressed together with his employees. Proper now, it is not obligatory for the gamers to come back in and observe however gamers are coming in and figuring out. The teaching employees with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, there’s loads 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 received loads of expertise. He is aware of what this league is about and I feel he’ll be an amazing 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 underneath 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 price (24.4) and completed fifteenth in offensive ranking (115.4). Redick has already assured that can change.
“I will use math,” Redick stated throughout his introductory press convention earlier this summer season. He needs his crew to shoot extra 3s, crash the offensive glass and run extra organized units. All informed, his analytically-driven philosophy is completely totally different than what the Lakers have had in recent times.
Seeking to the long run, participant improvement is one other key for Redick. His dedication to that side of the sport is why the Lakers have faith that he will be their chief now, and after LeBron James retires.
“The pursuit of greatness cannot be depressing,” Redick stated. “Daily that any individual walks on this constructing, they need to take pleasure in it. I feel 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 employees, does all people within the constructing take pleasure in coming to work daily? 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.
