JJ Redick Told to Sacrifice 1 Thing to Get Lakers Head Coach Position by 39YO NBA Veteran

Is JJ Redick a good fit for the LA Lakers has been asked enough times now, but finally, there is someone with a suggestion. Notably, there have been varied opinions on the former NBA star coaching the Lakers. And most opinions revolve around the question of Redick’s authority in the locker room if he gets the job. Appearing on the ‘NBA on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins has offered a potential solution to this.

The 39-year-old first stated his belief in Redick’s knowledge of the game from X’s and O’s standpoint. “But the one thing that I feel like JJ Redick is going to have to do is lose that snobby duke attitude… Going into that locker room, it’s one thing to have a high basketball IQ and know your exes and O’s, but it’s another thing to make sure you gather the ears of that locker room,” Perkins said. He further mentioned that there is a certain level of respect that one has to earn in the locker room.

This comes after Perkins recently extended support to Udonis Haslem’s views of Redick coaching the Lakers. Appearing on the Stephen A. Smith Show, Perkins stated he called Haslem and appreciated him. “He did a great job on NBA Today… you know what he said?…. He said, ‘If you hire JJ Redick, it’s going to be [cynical] in that locker room, and he’s right,” the former Boston Celtics star said.

Perkins further explained Haslem’s point was that if Redick gets hired, players in the locker room will doubt if the words are coming from him or LeBron James due to their close association. However, Haslem has not been the only former NBA star who thinks Redick coaching the Lakers is a bad idea.

Channing Frye believes JJ Redick as Lakers coach is a “death sentence”

During an interview with Lauren Jbara, the 2016 NBA champ had expressed his belief that it’s not a good idea for Redick to debut his coaching career with a franchise like the Lakers. “To be honest, I think it’s a death sentence. I think he’s jumping on a grenade… I know for a fact JJ Redick is a coach. But taking that job, I just don’t know. That’s a lot,” he said. This opinion stems from Frye’s belief that a coaching debut in the NBA is a big step. And taking that step with a star-studded line-up would be an added challenge in establishing authority as a coach.

He further mentioned that the Lakers are not like some other franchises who believe in “let’s learn your way”. Frye spotlighted the fact that the Lakers were crushing Darvin Ham for not having the right substitution pattern. His dismiss from the team would mark a third for the Lakers in the past six years. Jovan Buha thus reports the franchise is looking for someone to sign long-term.

“Ideally for the Lakers, this would be a coach who can grow with the franchise and be there for a long time and provide some level of stability,” he says highlighting the need for it post-LeBron James era. So overall, there have been mixed opinions on Redick coaching the Lakers. While some have their reservations on this, some believe Redick’s game-knowledge and his bond with LeBron may just work for the Lakers, giving both parties a good start.