As new Lakers coach, JJ Redick just signed up for one of the most combustible positions

JJ Redick is leaving the booth for the NBA sideline. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

LeBron James turns 40 years old on Dec. 30. He can become a free agent between now and then.

This is the context in which longtime NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick is reportedly joining the Los Angeles Lakers as a first-time head coach on a four-year deal worth about $8 million annually. Apparently the lure of L.A. was enough for the 39-year-old to push pause on his podcasts.

Who can blame him? It is a prestigious job. I will not pretend to know how quality of a coach he will be.

As a basketball situation, the Lakers leave plenty to be desired. I am not saying James will sign elsewhere in July. Redick surely has some level of understanding that James will be sporting purple and gold when the NBA’s 2024-25 campaign begins, but even then the rookie coach is assuming a combustible position.

For the second straight season, the Lakers required a play-in tournament victory to qualify for the playoffs, where they were worked by Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets, most recently in the first round. Over the past three seasons, spanning coaches Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham, the Lakers are 123-123.

They are a good basketball team. Not a great team. And there is not a whole lot of room to get better.

This is the reality when your team is built on a 40-year-old foundation. As great as James still is — he made the All-NBA third team this season — there are limitations to the load he can carry, particularly on defense, and those limitations lower the team’s ceiling. They just do. Prime LeBron James is not scrapping to make the playoffs, even in a loaded Western Conference. We all know this. We just do not say it out loud.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have yet another new coach. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Lakers still feature Anthony Davis, a monster on their 2020 NBA championship run. He is 31 years old and just enjoyed the healthiest season of his career, good for the All-NBA second team and All-Defensive first team. That is a premium building block, and Redick will hope his defensive anchor can stay healthy.

That anchor is still tied…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/as-new-lakers-coach-jj-redick-just-signed-up-for-one-of-the-most-combustible-positions-194107588.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-20 19:41:07

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.