Can JJ Redick avoid making the same mistakes as Darvin Ham? This question has been raised ever since the former Orlando Magic player was announced as the new head coach of the Lakers in June 2024. Given that he is the fifth head coach for the franchise in the last ten years, the pressure is high for the 40-year-old to prove his commitment to the Lakers. After all, if Redick meets the same fate as Ham, it may become quite hard to find a replacement.

In the Locked On Lakers show, Andy and Brian Kamenetzky highlighted how Redick has no previous coaching experience. Brian indicated that the Lakers have taken a major risk. “100%, if you go out and you get Redick, a first-time coach in the most literal sense …. and you fire him in two seasons, you will never get a decent candidate to come coach your team again.” After all, a championship-winning coach like Frank Vogel wasn’t allowed to stay for more than three years, and a 16-year experience worth Darvin Ham was fired after two. What are Redick’s chances?

“Or, at the very least, every candidate who will consider you will also give far more consideration to that Hornets gig, to the Pacers job, to the Jazz job, like these other sort of midmarket, far more nondescript, you know, still sought-after positions in the NBA. As opposed to taking the Lakers job because you’d have to be insane to throw your lot in with these people like because they clearly don’t understand anything about anything, and you will not get a fair shake, and will always be the one thrown under the bus.”

Having five coaches in just a single decade has certainly not helped the Los Angeles Lakers‘ situation. Furthermore, it doesn’t help the fact that the franchise’s lead scorer over the past six seasons has been LeBron James, who was infamously given the ‘Coach Killer’ tag in 2005. While there were seldom any reports of any sort of animosity between LeBron and Frank Vogel, the differences between him and Frank Vogel were well-documented. According to Andrew Irwin, a reporter associated with Lakers Daily, the NBA All-Time scorer would be present in the team huddle whenever Ham would provide instructions. However, he would not take it too sportingly and reportedly would “roll his eyes.” Once Ham was done and possibly out of earshot, LeBron would get up, exclaim, “f–k all that” and give out his own instructions! In the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast that he once co-hosted with JJ Redick, the Lakers star would even reveal going against Ham’s instructions during a pivotal game. In a statement after Ham’s firing, former player Byron Scott fully placed the blame on LeBron by stating “The only person that he’s going to really trust is himself.”

However, there is some hope in the ‘trust’ department when it comes to JJ Redick. After all, both he and LeBron have shown through the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast that they can maintain a proper working relationship. At the same time, the new HC has taken it upon himself to guide Bronny James, LeBron’s eldest, by highlighting the 19-year-old’s strengths and weaknesses that he wishes to improve. The Lakers have also reportedly hired WNBA legend Lindsey Harding, along with Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan who each have over two decades’ worth of coaching experience, to guide Redick as assistant coaches.

While there is no way for Jeanie Buss, or the fans, to know how Redick will perform until the commencement of the season, retaining the 40-year-old for a few more years more than Vogel and Ham may be better for the Lakers down the road. Fortunately, the Lakers owner has confidence that her new hire has the potential to take the franchise to it’s previous level of championship contention.

Jeanie Buss believes that JJ Redick is the right person to coach the Lakers “Looking for a candidate that would bring something different”

Ever since JJ Redick was hired, Jeanie Buss’s voice was amongst the few that did not immediately react to the news. Her initial statements came barely a few days ago, as she sat down for an interview on the Petros and Money show. The Lakers owner admitted that Redick is an unusual choice, in terms of experience, when compared to the people that came before him. However, it is this uniqueness that may come out in his favor.

“We wanted to kind of think a different way. Really, he’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball stuff, but we were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players,” said Buss. “JJ is the right person for us.” The 62-year-old, however, also reiterated that her remarks simply reflect her opinion, and that a home run should not be expected right from the start. Instead, “We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish.”

This same opinion was also highlighted by five-time NBA champion and Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Having coached the team himself back in 1994, the former player is aware of how daunting the task can be. Therefore, taking to social media, he stated “We as Lakers fans gotta give JJ Redick some time to help him understand how to utilize the talent, coach the talent, what schemes will work, and what won’t.” By receiving support more prominently than any of his predecessors, JJ Redick may very well end up as a long-term coach. Then again, however, nothing can be said for certain until the commencement of the 2024-25 season.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.