Duke’s all-time leading scorer JJ Redick is going to lead from the Lakers‘ sidelines. As the preseason breathes down their neck, a new perspective is all that Rob Pelinka’s boys need. However, a question has been persistent among NBA fans. Why did the team choose Redick? The fact that they were about to sign UConn’s HC Dan Hurley who surprisingly declined a $70 million offer, so they turned their heads toward the 40-year-old. Surely, the front office had some vision in their minds?

Rumors suggest that it wasn’t JJ Redick’s NBA stint with the Orlando Magic or the Milwaukee Bucks that put him on Rob Pelinka’s radar. Instead, the actual road that led him to the Lakers was the tricky network of bandwidth, Wi-Fi signals, and modem. To put it simply- JJ Redick’s internet presence and solid personality might have been the key. The Lakers signed Redick as their 29th Head Coach. But, he’s not just a former college star and lottery pick, but also a top shooter and veteran leader. He comes with the experience of the league and, therefore, is the perfect one to fit in this new role at a time when Rob Pelinka is looking to make his team stronger.

But, it seems, the Lakers front office has had a vision in their minds. Pelinka said, “When we set out on the journey to name the next Lakers coach, we had in mind concepts around innovation and challenging ourselves to be forward-thinking.”

He added: “I think in industry in general and in sports in specific, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of same, a sea of sameness and doing the same thing that everybody else is doing. But when we embarked on this search, it was really important for us to see if we could do something a little bit different,” quotes via Los Angeles Times. Redick, once active on social media and a podcast host, is now eager to step away from the online world. He will no longer continue any podcasts with his ThreeFourTwo Productions. He will also not give his strategic POV on ‘Mind the Game’ with LeBron James.

Well, despite being inactive on his social handles since June, he might as well deny it, but Rob Pelinka’s new ringmaster found his place among the elites because of his internet activities while having a strong belonging to the game. However, the matter has been a ‘hush hush’ in the squad. This is because the front office didn’t specifically mention JJ Redick’s social media presence as the key factor.

Well, it would be surprising if Rob Pelinka & Co. weren’t expecting anything big from JJ Redick, however shocking that might sound. Especially now when he will be earning around $8 million/season for the next 4 years. It would be unfair to also not hope for the best.

Meanwhile, the team’s shooting guard Austin Reaves seems to have gotten the front office’s hopes high. Therefore, there are some “crazy expectations” looming around the corner.

Is Rob Pelinka expecting too much from the Lakers squad, amidst a rebuild?

“You look at evolutions of players… like a great player like a Jalen Brunson and the jump he had from his Dallas days to New York.” Rob Pelinka said this about the Lakers’ shooting guard, Austin Reaves.

But, Insider, Trevor Lane cautions that this comparison may set unrealistic expectations. He said, “But Rob saying he is gonna continue to develop and we are gonna see a Jalen Brunson-like rise citing the jump that Jalen Brunson had from Dallas to New York. I mean, whether Rob attends to it or not, this is putting some crazy expectations out there.”

The hoops analyst further marked the differences between AR-15 and JB, stating that the latter had a 21.9% usage in Dallas. This is close to Austin Reaves’ 20.3% for the Lakers last season. However, the Knicks‘ talisman’s usage rate shot up to 32.4% last season.

However, all of this might be a bit too much for not just the 26-year-old, but also for the fans. While Rob Pelinka’s new favorite had 15.9 points and 5 assists per game in the 2023-24, he was nowhere close to Jalen Brunson.

The Lakers have been on shaky grounds, since their last championship win. With not many new names on the current roster, Rob Pelinka is surely finding things difficult. He undoubtedly wants to rebuild the once-17x NBA title team; so he’s relying on players other than LeBron James. Moreover, AR might not even get the same chances as players like JB or D’Lo get with the ball. It’s simply setting narratives up for failure.

The Lakers are entering a crucial season with big changes. Hiring JJ Redick as head coach shows a fresh approach. He brings both hoops knowledge and a strong personality. But the pressure isn’t just on him. Austin Reaves is also facing high expectations. Comparisons to stars like Jalen Brunson add to that. It’s a risky move for the Lakers. They are counting on new ideas and rising talent to rebuild. Whether this leads to success or more struggles remains to be seen. The stakes are high, and fans are eager for results.

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