According to sources from Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily, J.J. Redick — who the Los Angeles Lakers hired on Thursday to be their newest head coach to replace Darvin Ham — has been operating as the team’s head coach ever since the 2024 NBA Finals came to an end in Boston.
“Redick met with the Lakers Saturday to confirm final details and has been operating as head coach since the Finals ended, per sources close to the situation,” Irwin wrote.
Also per Irwin’s sources, the Lakers were impressed with the 39-year-old’s vision for Anthony Davis, who averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest during the 2023-24 regular season.
“Sources say the Lakers, who reportedly thought Redick had Pat Riley potential even before interviewing him, were impressed in the interview process by his organization, communication skills and technical vision for the team — especially regarding Anthony Davis,” he wrote. “Redick and the Lakers were in conversation on several occasions over the last month, finally leading to this agreement.”
The 2024 NBA Playoffs ended after the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks by 18 points at TD Garden in Monday’s Game 5. Jayson Tatum had one of the best games of his career in perhaps the biggest game of his life to this point, as he racked up 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in Boston’s series-clinching victory.
Lakers fans likely aren’t too thrilled about the final outcome of the NBA Finals, considering the Celtics now possess the most titles of any team in league history with 18 and one more than Los Angeles.
While Los Angeles’ stint in the 2024 NBA Playoffs came to an end in the first round, the team’s run to the Western Conference the year prior suggests that Redick may have the talent necessary to make a legitimate run at the 18th banner in the history of the storied franchise next season.
Starting with the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James and Davis made for one of the most effective duos in the NBA during the 2023-24 regular season. After all, they combined to average 50.4 points, 19.9 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game in their fifth season as teammates.
Additionally, outside of Los Angeles’ star duo, the Lakers boast a number of productive complementary players such as Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and D’Angelo Russell, though it’s worth mentioning that Russell could hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
Lakers faithful should be excited to see how Redick handles the pressure of coaching a franchise of Los Angeles’ caliber come the start of the 2024-25 regular season.
