With just a few weeks to go before the start of NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers seem to be closing in on their next head coach. According to league insider Marc Stein, JJ Redick is already in the process of assembling his coaching staff and is expected to announce the news of the hire himself after the NBA Finals.
“I will be very surprised if their next Head Coach is anybody but JJ Redick,” said Chris Haynes on the Dan Patrick Show. “Everything that I’m hearing is JJ Redick. From what I know he’s doing some background, calling some assistant coaching candidates who might be able to join his staff.”
The Lakers fired Darvin Ham earlier this month and expressed disappointment at their mediocre finish to the season. The Lakers, who hoped to compete for a title, finished 7th in the West and had to fight in the play-in tournament only to lose in five games to the Denver Nuggets.
After firing Ham, the Lakers began an extensive and detailed coaching search that reportedly included candidates such as Sam Cassell, James Borrego, and even Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn. From the jump, however, JJ Redick was considered a frontrunner for the position and now he’s all but certain to have landed the job.
Redick, a 15-year veteran, played for six different teams over his playing career and established a reputation for being a team-first leader in the locker room. Since his transition to the NBA media a few years ago, he’s put his basketball knowledge on full display, and the Lakers are hoping that it’s a sign that he can become the modern-day version of Pat Riley.
With no head coaching experience in the NBA, Redick will be learning on the fly for the Lakers and it’s why he’s expected to bring in a team of experienced and well-respected assistants to fill out his bench. Potential candidates for Redick’s coaching staff include Cassell, Borrego, and former NBA swingman Jared Dudley.
If the Lakers want to wait until after the Finals to announce their choice, it could be weeks before the Redick hire becomes official but it’s best not to rush the process at this stage. With LeBron James at 39 years old and the Lakers fresh off a disappointing season the Lakers cannot afford to make any more mistakes if they want to maximize what’s left of this star core.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
