“Everything we own that was of any importance to us after 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house,” said JJ Redick, referring to the loss suffered in the SoCal wildfire. Undoubtedly, a gut-wrenching situation. However, the Lakers‘ coach bounced back pretty quickly, channeling his energy into the team. Currently, they’re standing at the 5th seed after a hard-fought effort. But the job is only half done. Heading into the second half, JJ Redick came up with an enriching message for the LA fans. 

Redick has had a tough start to the year, losing his house in the wildfire. While he had means to recover from the loss, family, and emotions involved in the house definitely took a toll on the coach. Despite the tragedy, he didn’t slide away from coaching responsibility, carrying the team on his shoulder. After a non-stop run since the start of the season, Redick finally received a weekend to spare. A much-needed time to recover emotionally from the loss and prepare for the second half of the season.

After the All-Star break, JJ Redick met the reporters for the first time at the Lakers practice facility. The very first question was about the break. The coach happily said, “It was nice. Slept a lot. Always in bed with my kids at 9 o’clock every day. Woke up at 7. Beautiful. Most I have slept since September 30. So, it was good.” Did you notice the date? It was the time when he joined the Lakers’ huddle, taking up the job. 

It’s undeniably a stressful job to coach a legacy franchise and Redick acknowledged it in the introductory press, saying that the championship expectations are sky-high. However, the star’s coach’s mentality to become a “great coach” has evened it out.

Moreover, JJ also added, “I took the necessary time. For personal stuff, I took the necessary time for myself. I am rejuvenated, recharged. I am ready for the second half of the year.” Now that the star coach looks locked and loaded for the second half, how far will the Lakers reach?

What will JJ Redick’s second half look like? 

Speaking at his introductory press meet in June, Redick said, “I have never coached in the NBA before.” Yes, he hasn’t even assisted an NBA coach. So, it was very clear that the Lakers had taken a huge risk with the rookie coach. However, he has performed well, taking the Lakers to a position they struggled to reach in the last few seasons.

Moreover, JJ will have an entirely different team in front of him. The star coach picked up the team from where Darvin Ham had left it. Now, the roster looks completely different. Most importantly, the team has replaced Anthony Davis with a generational talent, Luka Doncic. While the team looks extremely lethal on paper, there isn’t any surety on winning the chip. 

Nevertheless, Redick highlighting the availability of three playmakers in Luka, Bron, and Reaves, said, “I think the tactical nature of what we are trying to do and what we’ve been trying to do lately, it goes to a different level as you add Luka.” Tonight, the Lakers will lock horns against the Charlotte Hornets. With LukaMagic coming off the break, we can expect better performance from the guard compared to his first two games in the Lakers jersey.

Above all, we can find a “rejuvenated” and “recharged” coach on the end of the court. Who do you think will win tonight’s challenge? Let us know in the comments.