Reasons Why JJ Reddick Should NOT Take the Lakers Job
Be Careful, JJ
It’s been reported that JJ Reddick is one of the candidates in the Los Angeles Lakers’ rigorous search for a new head coach according to many sources including ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Some would even say that Reddick and Lebron James’ new podcast, Mind the Game, is serving as a pseudo- interview for Reddick.
JJ Reddick will be a quality head coach. He has emerged as one of the more insightful minds in the NBA media space. He’s fairly objective, has great cerebral basketball instincts, and seems like an empathetic guy that can relate to players. He’s been the young guy getting DNPs. He’s been the serviceable bench player. He’s been a competent starter in the league, so there are many relatable experiences that he can use to supplement his coaching acumen. However, I don’t think the Lakers should fill the vacancy with Reddick which is an opinion that runs contrary to popular belief among observers.
From Reddick’s perspective, I would view the mountain of pressure that it would be to coach a LeBron-led Lakers squad as a deterrent to taking this position. We all know what the LeBron experience has been recently. It’s almost like you’re on the hot seat as soon as the introductory press conference is over when you coach a team with LeBron leading the way. Regardless of what happens on the floor, most times the head coach ends up being the scapegoat for all the failures. David Blatt, Frank Vogel, and Darvin Ham were all swiftly relieved of their services after failed attempts at success with LeBron-led teams.
Why is that?
I won’t venture down that rabbit hole at this time. Is it too hard to build a team and coach around LeBron these days? Some would argue, yes it is. I can’t call it because I’m no expert on these particular intricacies of the game. I will say that Reddick taking this as his first ever coaching gig is like running across the “gun line” in the movie Life. There’s no gate holding you back from running across it, the other side looks way more appealing, but you’re also at risk of getting hit by a speeding shot gun shell before you reach the line.
Any team that LeBron plays for is in win-now mode. We all know that LeBron is in the twilight of his career and the rest of the Lakers’ roster who has proven to be insufficient at times in terms of emerging as a true contender (outside of Anthony Davis; under contract thru 2028, 31 years old, and still playing at an elite level) will (again) have significant moving parts and pieces this offseason. From the Lakers front office perspective, why would they assume such a risk on a first-year coach during these trying times?
For Reddick, why would one subject himself to this type of pressure and expectation during his first ever coaching tenure? The risk can obviously be mitigated by mightily upgrading the roster. Donovan Mitchell is expected to be a free agent that the Lakers will entertain signing. We’ve also seen in recent years that these ploys to construct overwhelming super teams have…ummm…underwhelmed! The Lakers have failed this project multiple times in the modern era (2004, 2012). We witnessed the disappointment of the OKC Thunder in 2017. The Brooklyn Nets have taken two cracks at it in recent memory as well (2013, 2021). The Phoenix Suns, currently lounging firmly in the luxury tax, are the most recent super team that has faltered under hefty expectations and there is a plethora of other failed attempts at the super team construction concept that I did not mention.
There’s no real guarantee that throwing money at the problem and bolstering the roster will propel the Lakers to being a contender under a first-time head coach. Not to mention, we have evidence alluding to the fact that “splashy” coaching hires have not been that productive or successful lately, either, especially for first-year coaches. How did the Steve Nash stint turn out in Brooklyn a few years ago? Nash, like Reddick, had no prior coaching experience and was instantly charged to lead a team with massive expectations. The situations are all too similar as Kevin Durant endorsed the Nash hire and LeBron seems to have an affinity for Reddick.
I emphasize that this would be a huge risk for both sides. If Reddick is hired and it goes wrong, what’s the odds of him getting another job in the NBA who constantly carousels “name brand” coaches around the league even after disappointing, slamming the door on new, aspiring talent getting opportunities to excel? To me, it would behoove Reddick to seek a position elsewhere where he would have more autonomy and authority over basketball operations, a luxury he probably wouldn’t have in L.A., as his first coaching job.
The Lakers, strapped for cash and assets, are a couple of years away from a total rebuild and want to capitalize from having, arguably, the greatest basketball player ever on their roster. The Lakers should get a proven, experienced, modest head coach that wouldn’t fret or succumb to the abhorrent pressure of coaching a team in such dire straits.
Often times there’s a big difference between what the public wants to see from what actually impacts winning, but for whatever reason Lakers brass tends to waddle in the muddy waters of “sexy” headline grabbing transactions rather than taking a low-profile, directed, more conservative approach towards being a champion again. But with all that said, the Lakers never cease to amuse or entertain us as basketball fans. Regardless of what the most rational option would be, I’m preparing myself for another Lakers “splash” hire in the coming weeks and months. It’s the Lakers! What do you expect?
