Lakers’ New Coach JJ Redick Faces Herculean Challenge: Succeeding Now and in the Future!

As Rob Pelinka, the executive of L.A presented Redick, he highlighted the team’s focus on long-term growth and immediate championship contention.

The purpose of the press conference was to address questions, but it ended up raising more of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers had the opportunity to clarify the Dan Hurley saga, but the team’s top executive, Rob Pelinka, asked reporters to inquire later.

Moreover, it was an opportunity for JJ Redick to share his unique vision for the team roster. Interestingly, Redick expressed his desire for more of Anthony Davis and more three-pointers.

On Monday, the Lakers officially introduced Redick as the head coach, making him the 29th in the franchise’s history and the fourth in the past seven seasons. After abandoning Luke Walton, firing Frank Vogel, and letting go of Darvin Ham, the team has entrusted Redick, a former player turned podcaster, with the task despite his limited experience but far-reaching name recognition.

Redick humorously acknowledged his lack of NBA coaching experience, saying, “I have never coached in the NBA before. I don’t know if you guys have heard that.”

In appointing Redick, the Lakers concluded one of the more peculiar coaching searches in recent history. They liked Redick but didn’t offer him the job initially. They wanted Hurley but were unwilling to pay his price. Pelinka mentioned that Redick was part of the Lakers’ “Plan A pool of coaches” but didn’t provide details about why Hurley had superseded him.

Pelinka chose to focus on Redick during the announcement, stating, “Today’s sort of JJ’s day.”

Later, Redick provided a glimpse into the recruitment process. He confirmed that his first meeting with the Lakers happened in May, during the NBA’s pre-draft combine. He found out about L.A.’s interest in Hurley from a newsbreak before Game 1 of the NBA Finals and mentioned that Pelinka called him shortly after.

Redick wasn’t offended by this series of events. He said, “At no point was my ego or feelings hurt or bruised in any way. Dan Hurley is a two-time national champion at UConn. I am a two-time 55 Swish League champion in the third and fourth grade division. Like, I understood.”

During his 45-minute engagement with the Los Angeles press, Redick was poised and articulate, as expected from his years of media work. He shared his commitment to the Lakers while at the Duke campus, revealed his journal entries about coaching over the past year, and joked about looking forward to his first challenge.

When asked what criticisms he aimed to disprove, Redick had a succinct answer. He said, “I don’t really have a great answer for your question because I really don’t give a f—. Honestly. I want to coach the Lakers. I want to coach the team. I don’t want to dispel anything. I don’t. I want to become a great coach in the NBA and I want to win championships and I want my players to maximize their careers. That’s all I f—— care about.”

Redick has received the endorsement of influential figures in the locker room. LeBron James didn’t participate in the coaching search, according to Pelinka, but the relationship between James and Redick is well-known. They have been podcast partners in recent months, and Redick confirmed that their first conversation about the coaching position happened shortly after he was offered the job.

On the other hand, Anthony Davis did participate in the coaching search. Pelinka described Davis’ involvement as “very involved.” At 39, James’ career—in L.A. and possibly elsewhere—is winding down. Davis, 31, is crucial to the Lakers’ current and future plans, and Redick plans to capitalize on this.

Redick proposed using Davis as a hub, a strategy often employed by NBA centers. He noted that Davis hadn’t been utilized to his full potential in this way.

However, Davis and James aren’t the problem. Davis played 76 games last season, earning All-NBA Second Team honors. James played 71 games, performing well enough to land on the All-NBA Third Team for the third year in a row. Redick praised the Lakers roster but knows it needs changes. Pelinka will be able to trade as many as three first-round picks from Wednesday night, but the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement makes roster-changing deals more challenging.

“The trades are less prevalent than they used to be,” said Pelinka. “So will we look for trades that help us become a better team? Absolutely. Are those trades, did they have the same probability that they did under the old system? No, it is a different system, so we’ve got to be mindful and thoughtful around that.”

Pelinka spoke about his long-term plans with Redick, emphasizing player development and modernizing the Lakers franchise, which has traditionally relied on its rich history and appealing location to build a winning team. He introduced the idea of creating a coaching app and “gamifying player development” to better connect with the younger generation of players.

“I think innovation’s got to be at the core of that,” Pelinka said. “We have a vision … of hiring out his support staff in sort of this tech bullpen way of getting innovative minds to help bring his basketball strategy and bring his basketball philosophy to life in a way that our players can grasp it, learn it, and actually grow their basketball IQ.”

While innovation is good and the Lakers—one of the smaller front offices in the NBA—could certainly benefit from it, player development is key, as evidenced by top Western Conference teams like Oklahoma City, Denver, and Minnesota. It makes sense to invest resources in enhancing the skills of Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schifino.

However, the Lakers can’t focus solely on that. They are trying to balance the immediate need to build a winning team around James, who is nearing 40, and planning for a future without him. This could mean trading or keeping draft picks.

Pelinka mentioned the goal of competing for championships in both the “short term or the long term.”

This is no easy feat, even for the likes of Houdini.

Redick is certainly committed to the task. It’s worth noting that Redick didn’t need this job. Three years after retiring from the NBA, he had become a lead analyst on ESPN with a flourishing podcast company. He pursued the coaching position because he wanted it and believed that his post-playing career prepared him for it.

“I just felt like this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Redick said.

On Monday, Redick sounded like a coach.

Soon, the Lakers will determine if he can indeed be one.