JJ Redick would be dodging a major bullet if the Lakers hire Dan Hurley as their coach

The Los Angeles Lakers are, above all else, star-chasers. This is franchise whose core philosophy more often than not boils down to landing the big fish and figuring the rest out later. For the better part of 60 years, that philosophy has worked, and that success has informed future decision-making. 

That much was evident in the way that they conducted their coaching search, which now appears to be culminating with an 11th-hour pursuit of two-time defending NCAA champion Dan Hurley, but was similarly evident in the way that they positioned their other top candidate, ESPN broadcaster JJ Redick. 

Redick is a big name in his own right, with a 15-year playing career and very successful early run in the media, but he lacks Hurley’s readymade coaching credentials. Before Hurley was seemingly on the table, all of the reporting suggested that the Lakers didn’t believe Redick needed such a resume. In May, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers view Redick as a “Pat Riley-like coaching prospect.”

There are, of course, surface-level similarities between Riley, arguably the greatest Lakers coach of them all, and Redick, a promising newcomer with no experience. Both were decorated college stars at major programs before settling into NBA careers as role players. Both transitioned from playing into broadcasting—though Riley was a championship assistant before ascending into a head coaching role.

That last caveat is important, as the Redick-Riley similarities, at this stage, really are just surface level. Redick, given time to grow into coaching as Riley did when he was an assistant, might one day become a great coach. Unfortunately, new coaches aren’t afforded that time when they draw comparisons to Hall of Famers. And it’s not time the Lakers tend to give any of their coaches. Whoever they hire in this cycle will be the seventh Lakers coach since Phil Jackson retired in 2011. Frank Vogel was fired two years after a championship. Darvin Ham was fired one year after a Western Conference finals berth….

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/jj-redick-would-be-dodging-a-major-bullet-if-the-lakers-hire-dan-hurley-as-their-coach/

Author : Sam Quinn

Publish date : 2024-06-06 23:01:50

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