Here’s why the JJ Redick signing is PERFECT

After a whirlwind of reporting going back and forth on exactly who the next Lakers coach would be, the team has finally reached a conclusion. The Los Angeles Lakers have hired JJ Redick to be the next head coach of this historic organization, signing him to a 4-year deal.

This news, as with all news in Laker-Land, was met with staunch supporters and the expected pessimists within the fanbase. While you certainly can point to JJ’s blatant lack of experience outside of coaching his son’s youth basketball teams, there are reasons to believe that he’ll not just be serviceable but could be everything the team has lacked the past two seasons.

His’ Mind for the Game’

JJ Redick played a staggering 15 seasons in the NBA as a stabilizing role player capable of providing much-needed support from the three-point line at a moment’s notice.

Before his lengthy NBA career, JJ called Durham, North Carolina, his home for four seasons while playing for Coach K and the Blue Devils (of course, he was a Blue Devil). During his entire NBA career, he totaled one single dunk.

Why does that matter? Typically, players fall into two categories: extraordinary athletes or heady high IQ type players. You can find players with both traits, but usually, it’s reserved for the league’s superstars, such as LeBron James. Ex-Laker guard Russell Westbrook is a key example of why you can’t rely too heavily on athleticism, as we’ve seen quite a steep decline in his MVP-caliber play correlate with his dissipating athletic prowess. JJ Redick totaled one dunk in his entire NBA career, and while I’m sure he’s not bragging about it, it does show what enabled him to have as long of a career as he had.

His mind for the game is exhibited both throughout his time on television and on his podcast ‘Mind the Game’ with LeBron James, which has been remarkable. Knowledge of the X’s and O’s when it comes to scripted out-of-bounds plays, screening angles, or even situational basketball all are well within his wheelhouse, which is a drastic uptick in basketball IQ compared to his predecessor. I’m sure he’ll make mistakes along the way, as it is his first season as a head coach, but the foundation of high-caliber coaching is undoubtedly there.

His Coaching Staff

Any great leader or coach will tell you that delegation is the number one skill you must have to be effective. Having faith in your staff to do something but also trusting they might be able to teach you something while doing it breeds a tight-knit culture among coaches. Throughout this coaching search, names have been floating around left and right for not only the head coach position but the assistant coaching positions as well. Names like Rajon Rondo, James Borrego (who may now take the Cleveland opening), and even ex-Laker Jared Dudley have all floated around the news cycle. While they may not collectively have a surplus of experience, they all bring palpable strengths to the team.

When the Lakers last won a championship in 2020, they employed both Rondo and Dudley on that team. While they didn’t contribute much (outside of Rondo’s playoff performances), they were both noted as being essential in the opponent scouting process and holding the locker room together—a tall task given how tumultuous that 2020 season was emotionally.

Borrego has coached in the league since LeBron’s rookie season in 2003, and it should also be mentioned that 10 of those years were under coaching legend Gregg Popovic. A two-time champion as an assistant in San Antonio, Borrego clearly has the pedigree. Yet, his only chance at being a head coach was squandered under the lack of talent and organizational dumpster fire of the Charlotte Hornets. With the assistant coaches listed and a veteran name like Scott Brooks being floated around, I’m sure that any deficiencies Redick would bring to the table could be smoothed over with the proper staff around him.

His “It” Factor

JJ Redick’s career to this point as a TV personality and broadcaster has put on display one of the reasons why I feel he’ll have no problem acclimating to being a coach, as well as his ability to get an instant buy-in from his team. Redick understands not only the players of the modern game but also their plights.

He didn’t waste time on television as he quickly started dismantling old antiquated talking points against modern players, such as “player A wanted it more than player B” or “this player from the 60’s could clearly beat LeBron James”. All topics of conversation that people with a high-level understanding of the game don’t entertain, and this was partially his reason for starting the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. This signals to players that this guy coaching us is one of us, and we know he’ll have our backs. This is a sentiment that I can say without a shadow of a doubt that last year’s team did not have for their coach.

That forward-thinking could be what the organization needs to not only maximize the last few years that the team has with LeBron James but also usher the Los Angeles Lakers into the post-LeBron era. The league gets younger and younger with each passing year, and I, for one, want the man in the coach’s seat to be the guy who can relate to the players because he understands them. People within the Lakers organization believe that Redick has a Pat Riley-type’ aura’ around him, and frankly, I can see where they’re coming from. Remember that in the 80s, the team tried to give Jerry West the head coach position first, but he declined, leading to Riley’s historic coaching run with the Lakers. Sounds familiar. Optimistically, bring it on.