Lakers ‘zeroing in’ on JJ Redick as next head coach reveals insider

JJ Redick has the advantage of respect and long-term viability which makes him a front runner for the head coaching job.

Lakers ‘zeroing in’ on JJ Redick as next head coach reveals insider

Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick to be their next head coach, reveals insider has LeBron James' cosign

The Los Angeles Lakers are still in the process of finalizing their next head coach. With LeBron James as their leader, they need someone who the 39-year-old will respect. Which is why his podcast mate JJ Redick was considered to be a frontrunner for the post.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed this through an article on their site;

The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the front-runner to be the franchise’s next head coach, league and media industry sources told The Athletic. No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in their head-coaching search process, league sources said. But the indications are strong that Redick is their leading choice at this stage.
Shams Charania wrote

This essentially sums up what the entire basketball world has forecasted for so long. Just that it has not been made official yet.

Although the article says that New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego is still in conversation with the Lakers, all signs point to Redick getting hired. James Borrego commands respect in the league and deserves to be a head coach for the second time. But Redick is the front runner for quite some time.

The Lakers have two main requirements from their next head coach. One is to be able to command respect in the locker room and make changes keeping the ultimate goal in mind. The second is to be a long-term steady hand as the Los Angeles Lakers move towards life without LeBron James once he retires. JJ Redick ticks both boxes.

JJ Redick will have LeBron James’ blessings

The most obvious part of the now ESPN color commentator’s resume is that he does not have coaching experience. However, many have pointed to other head coaches who have been successful without having any prior coaching experience. A big testament to that comes from having LeBron James‘ blessings.

If the longest-tenured and the most intelligent player on the court gives a co-sign, nothing more matters. The all-time leading scorer knows Redick from their playing days and has tremendous respect for him. It also adds that James knows Redick is not afraid to speak his mind, even to himself. That will bode well as it will bring the best out of the supporting cast.

The Los Angeles Lakers need someone to eke the best out of their bench. Which happened to be one of their biggest issues this season. If LeBron James feels Redick can, then the Lakers would not doubt it.

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