The process was long, but Jeanie Buss feels the Lakers got the guy they needed to coach this team.
Since the moment Darvin Ham was fired, JJ Redick has been the name we have constantly heard associated with the Lakers' head coaching position.
There was a long process with many candidates interviewed and, for a brief moment, it appeared to be Dan Hurley’s job if he wanted it. In the end, the Lakers brought in Redick as the franchise's next head coach.
We haven’t heard much from Lakers owner Jeanie Buss regarding the hire as she leaves most public statements to her vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka. However, she recently appeared on the Petros and Money show and shared her thoughts on the new Lakers coach.
“I’m excited about our new coach JJ Redick and I could sit here and tell you how great it’s going to be basketball-wise, but you know, I really want the opportunity just for the team to play basketball and that will tell the story…” Buss said. “We were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players. And you know, JJ’s the right person for us.
“Again, I just want the work to really speak for itself. So I don’t want to hype it and say, like, it’s going to be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish. And I’m really impressed with his staff. Right now it’s not mandatory for the players to come in and practice, but players are coming in and working out with the coaching staff with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks. There’s a lot of experience that will be there for him to, you know, make that adjustment to being a head coach, but certainly a twelve-year career in the league. He’s got a lot of experience. He knows what this league’s about and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
If things aren’t good during the honeymoon phase, that’s a bad sign. After a long process, the Lakers should be happy about who they hired and feel Redick can maximize this team’s talent.
It’s also good to hear the staff is already hard at work with some of the younger guys who are putting in summer hours.
Rooks at work. pic.twitter.com/Go9YWtuXzF
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 22, 2024
Redick might not have NBA coaching experience, but his staff certainly does and on paper it looks like one of the strongest coaching benches in the NBA.
With the league currently in the middle of the offseason, we’ll have to wait until October before getting any kind of idea of the type of coach Redick will be for the Lakers.
The anticipation is already building about whether his walk will match his talk, but we already know Redick doesn’t “give a f---” about people who are skeptical about his hire and he just wants to continue to be a basketball sicko and do the best job he can.
The good news for Redick is he has ownership on his side and a fanbase that appears open to the hire. That’s as good of a start as one can get in the high-pressure environment that is being the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
