When the Los Angeles Lakers brought JJ Redick on as head coach last June, plenty of skeptics wondered if the franchise had lost its mind. Redick had zero coaching experience at any level, yet he was being handed the keys to a roster featuring LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The pressure was immediate. This is a team that measures success in championships, not moral victories. And then there was the elephant in the room. How would a 41-year-old LeBron James handle taking a backseat after two decades of being the focal point?
So far, James has embraced it. He has allowed Doncic and Reaves to carry more of the offensive load, and the results speak for themselves. The Lakers are third in the Western Conference with a 46-26 record and recently rattled off nine straight wins.
Richard Jefferson backs JJ Redick for NBA Coach of the Year
That kind of stretch has people rethinking what this team can do, and it’s put Redick’s name into a different conversation.
During a recent segment of the “Road Trippin’ Show,” 2016 NBA champion Richard Jefferson shared why he believes Redick belongs in the Coach of the Year discussion.
“You look at the injuries at the start of the season, keeping the team in the hunt. Now, all of a sudden, you’re strategizing, and you’re winning games against Denver late, you’re winning in Houston late, you’re going to Miami (and winning),” Jefferson said.
“Yes, your player performance (is humming), but your team is also having a moment where everyone got healthy, everyone was talking about how the Big 3 couldn’t play together.”
“And JJ, coaching is not just Xs and Os. How do you get one of the greatest players of all time to sacrifice?…How do you manage that? Coaching is not just, ‘Can you draw up a play?’ It’s management of personalities.”
