With the Lakers having a mix of veterans and young players, the franchise wants to ensure the development of the young talent is prioritized under JJ Redick with a Director of Player Development.
The Lakers have begun making progress with their coaching staff hires after letting everyone go from last year’s team.
JJ Redick signed a four-year contract to become the Lakers head coach at approximately $8 million annually. Then, the franchise reportedly landed Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks as top assistant coaches.
The building out of the Lakers coaching staff has been a collaborative effort between the organization and Redick.
Vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka stated that Redick and himself were “completely aligned” with adding former head coaches to the staff. Now, two big pieces to the staff are coming to Los Angeles.
This is an excellent start to building out this coaching tree, but according to Redick, a lot of work remains, including hiring a Director of Player Development.
JJ Redick said the Lakers will hire a Director of Player Development "that shares my vision."
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 2, 2024
Whoever the Lakers hire to aid in player development will take on an important job.
The Lakers have a mix of young talent, including players like Max Christie, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis.
Add to those young Lakers two new rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James and suddenly, a third of your roster needs time and development beyond just getting more minutes in the NBA.
They need to learn how to be pros and unlock their full potential. A good teacher will be critical to turning these basketball students into masters.
Redick appears to have the support and collaboration needed from the front office to succeed and the financial backing. The Lakers are reportedly willing to invest financially in the staff, which should help bring top talent to Southern California.
How Redick will be as a coach is still among the biggest question marks regarding the 2024-25 Lakers. It certainly seems like Redick is progressing towards modern and new ideas.
He’s mentioned using math when making basketball decisions and there has been talk of creating an app for player tracking. Now, with plans to bring in a Director of Player Development, it seems the Lakers will go from being behind the times to being ahead of them.
It will be months, maybe even years, before we find out if the Redick hire was a good decision. However, early on, it seems like he’s going about the process correctly and will have the opportunity to succeed with the Lakers.
In the end, this is a win-or-lose league, so if the results are there, he’ll be heralded and if not, things will get hot in Los Angeles quickly.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
