With the arrival of JJ Redick as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, there has been a lot of optimism surrounding the team. Despite not making any major roster changes, the Lakers do look much better compared to last year. But a quick look at the stats shows that Redick’s side is underperforming compared to the previous, much maligned, Lakers head coach, Darvin Ham.
In the 2023-24 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers, under Darvin Ham, had an offensive rating of 115.9, a defensive rating of 115.3, shot the three-pointer at a percentage of 37.7% as a season, dished out 28.6 assists per game, and had 7.6 iso possessions a game.
In contrast, in just the eight games that the Lakers have played under JJ Redick, they have an offensive rating of 114.5, a defensive rating of 118.6, have shot 34.4% from the three-point line, delivered 26.6 assists per game, and created 8.8 iso possessions a game.
Despite JJ Redick being adamant about wanting to rely more on analytics and making sure that his players work harder than the previous year, so far, the results have yet to show that they have improved under him.
The Lakers started the season off really well, going 3-0 in their first three games. But since then, after embarking on a five-game road trip, they have gone 1-4, and now sit middle of the pack with a record of 4-4.
The frustration does seem to be getting to JJ Redick, who stormed out of his post-game press conference yesterday after criticizing several Lakers players (except LeBron James). The former Duke star will be hoping his team can turn things around tonight, as the Lakers take on the 76ers at home.
Darvin Ham Did Not Impress Lakers Players Or Fans
Of course, it should be noted that the Lakers have played just eight league games under JJ Redick, whereas Darvin Ham had two full seasons under his belt. These stats, while not wholly comparable because of the length of time, should suggest to Lakers fans that there is a lot of work to be done within their team.
Despite the stats being in Darvin Ham’s favor, the overall sentiment right now is still far more favorable toward JJ Redick. The fanbase is far happier with JJ Redick, which is understandable, given how new he still is in the role.
But it isn’t just the fans, as players on the Lakers who played under both coaches have praised JJ Redick, while also taking shots at Darvin Ham. It was recently reported that the Lakers’ players hated playing under Darvin Ham. And Rui Hachimura and former Lakers star Scotty Pippen Jr. both took shots at Ham in recent interviews.
Ham, for his part, has defended himself, claiming that he improved the Lakers significantly during his tenure, especially compared to where they were before he took over. And while there is certainly truth in that comment, it should be remembered that Ham was let go due to his inability to coach the squad well enough.
Under Darvin Ham, the Lakers had a record of 90-74 in two seasons. While JJ Redick certainly hasn’t had a bombastic start to life as Lakers head coach, he still has plenty of time to turn things around and improve this team.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
