The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through four coaches since 2018, but Phil Handy has been a constant in the locker room since Frank Vogel was hired in 2019. He survived Vogel’s firing but couldn’t survive Darvin Ham’s firing, with the Lakers letting him go and announcing a new group of assistants behind JJ Redick. Handy shared a long overdue goodbye letter for Lakers fans on his Instagram.
“Laker Nation, long overdue… 5 years in the books and y’all held me down from start to finish. The amount of love LakeShow fans showed me over the years has been unreal! I will be forever grateful for the outpouring support yall showed the OG. We did the thing in 2020 and tried every year to compete for more. The business of basketball is not always easy or fair but you all know what I’m about with this game and any player I have I’ve ever worked with @beyourowngoat … Yall know what it is.”
Handy is considered one of the best player development coaches in the NBA. He has worked closely with a who’s-who of NBA stars in the past, with Kyrie Irving being one of his most notable success stories. Handy also worked extensively to help Austin Reaves develop from an undrafted rookie to the third option on the Lakers within a few seasons.
Many believe the Lakers should have retained Handy once again for Redick’s staff, but it seems the front office wanted to give Redick the latitude to pick his own staff from scratch. While the new group of assistants on the Lakers is extremely solid, players will miss Handy’s presence.
JJ Redick Has High Expectations From The Coaches On His Staff
Rookie head coach JJ Redick needed to have an amazing cast of assistants around him to help him navigate the world of coaching in the NBA, for which he has former head coaches such as Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks to give him advice. Redick laid out what went into picking the Lakers coaching group for this season and what he expects out of them.
“Through an intentional and thorough process, we’ve brought together an experienced, diverse, and dedicated coaching staff. Our goal from day one is to foster a high-performing environment of player development and team alignment through relentless work, daily collaboration, and innovation.”
“Players and staff are here to enjoy the pursuit of excellence every time they step on the court. The expectations are clear, and my staff and I are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure success at the highest level.”
Given how much Lakers fans blamed Darvin Ham for the team’s failures last season, Redick should know that he will be under the spotlight from day one. He needs coaches like the ones they’ve signed to help him acclimatize to NBA coaching while filling in any gaps Redick’s inexperience may cause.
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