Speaking with the media ahead of Game 1 on Thursday, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gave his take on the coaching situation with the Lakers. Kidd, who knows both men personally, had high praise for the candidates and spoke very highly of their basketball knowledge.
“I’m happy when you talk about Hurley being mentioned as a candidate, JJ being mentioned. Two different paths,” said Kidd to reporters. “Both basketball IQs are extremely high. I’ve gotten to play with Hurley in high school, he is a warrior, he’s a champion. But JJ also has a basketball IQ and understands how to play the game the right way.”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd weighs in on the Lakers targeting Dan Hurley & JJ Redick for their head coaching vacancy:
"I'm happy when you talk about Hurley being mentioned as a candidate, JJ being mentioned. Two different paths… Both basketball IQs extremely high… I've gotten to… pic.twitter.com/UjF7hCMYV9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2024
Kidd, a 19-year veteran of the NBA, has been coaching the Mavericks since 2021 and he’s had an up-and-down tenure. After missing the playoffs last season and tanking down the stretch, Kidd oversaw one of the lowest points of the Luka Doncic era. Now he’s coaching his team in the Finals with Doncic (Slovenian superstar) and 2016 champion Kyrie Irving following his lead.
The Lakers hope to find similar success with their head coach and they’ve settled on two candidates so far: UConn Men’s coach Dan Hurley and former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. Neither Kidd nor Lakers star LeBron James will have any say in the final decision but the thinking right now is that they will prioritize someone who can succeed in the long term.
Hurley, who reportedly is in talks with the Lakers, already told his college team that he is considering taking the job. He brings years of coaching experience, along with back-to-back NCAA National Championships. Reddick, meanwhile, brings experience as a player in the league and his various connections to modern athletes could make him an interesting guy to connect the team.
Whoever the Lakers go with, it’s important they think about the future, and that includes one without 4x NBA champion LeBron James. From Mike D’Antoni and Byron Scott to Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham, the Lakers have cycled through too many coaches already and I think it’s more than time they settle on one guy to take the position for the foreseeable future.
Lakers Were Focused On Hurley From The Very Beginning
Initially, the indications were strong that the Lakers were going to sign JJ Redick. Redick, age 39, has flashed his basketball smarts on his new podcast with LeBron James and it was enough to convince many he was worthy of the job.
It wasn’t until a few hours ago, however, that the situation changed. Out of nowhere, college coach Dan Hurley emerged as a frontrunner and Adrian Wojnarowski says he was the Lakers’ focus from the very start.
“The Lakers, who at some point really have to get on with their search, they have been focused on Dan Hurley from the beginning and very quietly trying to lay the groundwork to get him interested and open-minded and ultimately committed to coming to Los Angeles,” said Adrian Wojnarowski.
It remains to be seen if Hurley will accept the position but it’s obvious that he’s the Lakers; first choice right now. With all due respect to Redick, having someone who is more experienced and decorated at the role might bode a lot better for their chances of keeping the next guy around for longer than a few years.
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