(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
After losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the offseason with many questions about what the storied franchise was going to do to try to right the ship, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis still leading the way.
The Lakers’ first move was a predictable one that was rumored for some time, with the team parting ways with head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons and one trip to the Western Conference Finals.
With Ham needing to be replaced, the Lakers went with a highly controversial approach as they eventually decided to hire former NBA player and ESPN analyst JJ Redick, who had never coached a basketball game at any significant level.
As if not having any coaching experience wasn’t bad enough, Redick co-hosted a podcast with James ahead of getting the job, which led many to believe that the superstar runs the organization at this point. That was then taken to another level entirely when the team drafted his son Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
With many anticipating Redick will fail to live up to lofty expectations in Los Angeles, one person who has an insider’s perspective on whether he’ll be successful or not is former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Appearing on “The Jim Rome Show,” Krzyzewski expressed confidence in his former Duke player as he takes on his first coaching gig in the NBA.
“I think he’ll do great,” Krzyzewski said. “Obviously, JJ has been part of my family, so during the process, you talk. I think he’ll be terrific.”
Coach K on what he’s expecting from JJ Redick as Lakers head coach. pic.twitter.com/W12Y0OWl2L
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 30, 2024
Obviously, Krzyzewski is a bit biased in his assessment as he went as far as saying he’s part of his family, so he’s not going to say anything bad about the situation.
Only time will tell if Redick can cut it as the head coach of the 17-time NBA champions, and he’ll have tremendous pressure on him right out of the gate this coming season.
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