Anthony Davis has reportedly backed James Borrego to be the new Lakers head coach over JJ Redick, who is the current front-runner for the job. According to Marc Stein, Davis prefers Borrego over Redick due to Borrego’s actual experience as a head coach. On top of that, Davis and Borrego briefly worked together while Borrego was an assistant coach for the Pelicans (then Hornets).
“It has been suggested in some corners of the league that Lakers star big man Anthony Davis probably prefers for James Borrego to get the job over Redick. Not only has Borrego been a head coach twice already in Orlando and Charlotte compared to Redick’s lack of head coaching experience, but he and Davis overlapped briefly during Borrego’s first stint with the Pelicans after Davis was drafted No. 1 overall in June 2012.”
Davis’ alleged reasons for wanting Borrego over Redick as the new Lakers head coach are more than fair. On top of that, the Lakers have to consider the fact that AD is going to be their franchise star of the future, especially once LeBron James leaves the Lakers or retires from the NBA.
James Borrego doesn’t just have head coaching experience but also knows what it’s like to be a part of a championship coaching staff. Borrego started his NBA coaching career with the Spurs under Gregg Popovich, where he spent seven years and helped win two NBA championships for the franchise, including one title that came at the expense of LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
After his stint with the Spurs, he became an assistant coach under Monty Williams for the Hornets (Pelicans), learning under him for two years before leaving to join the Magic as an assistant. He was even the interim coach of the Magic briefly before he returned to the Spurs as an assistant. He got his first head coaching position in 2018 with the Hornets, serving as the head coach for four years.
Borrego was fired by the Hornets in 2022, and he joined Willie Green’s coaching staff in 2023, returning to the Pelicans once again. While Borrego didn’t do wonders as a head coach, his experience in the NBA as a head coach should speak volumes when compared to JJ Redick’s lack of experience.
Who Will Be The Next Lakers Coach: JJ Redick Or James Borrego?
It was reported recently that the Lakers are close to finalizing JJ Redick as the new head coach of the Lakers. So maybe it might be too late for Davis to get Borrego’s name into the mix.
Redick did not help the speculation when he addressed rumors in a recent interview, where he refused to confirm or deny the links, and stated his focus was on calling the NBA Finals, and the various podcasts that he is a part of.
“I would say this. My focus right now is on calling the NBA finals. I am so fortunate that I’m in this position and I get to call these finals with Doris and Mike. And I mentioned the State Farm thing that I just did on YouTube.”
“My day-to-day right now is consumed with calling games, the 19 different podcasts I feel like I have, and my obligations to all of our partners. So my focus is on the NBA Finals. I will say that. In terms of Shams, that will be addressed once the season is over. So I’ll just say that.”
JJ Redick could have his first coaching job in the NBA be the most scrutinized and media-fixated position in the entire league. That is an immense burden for any head coach, especially one with no experience, so he will have to do his best to tune out the noise and make an impact.
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