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Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss believes that her new head coach JJ Redick is ready to enter his first season as an NBA bench boss. As a sports executive and the Lakers' controlling owner, Buss wanted to head into 2024-25 with a different approach and saw Redick, the former shooting guard, as an ideal candidate for the position.
On Thursday, she joined AM 570 LA Sports' Petros and Money show and talked about what went into hiring Redick.
“We wanted to kind of think [in] 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,” Buss said. “And, really invest in developing young players. JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want the work to really speak for itself. So I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run.”
Jeanie Buss has been around the NBA long enough to understand a head coach's very first job is never easy. There will be an adjustment process for Redick and a learning curve that all first-year coaches go through. Still, she is undoubtedly confident in Redick.
JJ Redick's new coaching staff and the Lakers' offseason workouts
The Lakers' new coaching staff has already set the tone. Lakers players have reportedly been participating in offseason workouts instead of enjoying the final weeks of the summer, according to the Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike.
“Those workouts are the first in the formalized relationship between JJ Redick, his staff, and the players, and the first impression might offer some hints as to how the new coach will operate,” Woike said. “Workouts have featured more live basketball — one on one and three on three — than past summers when the focus was more on individual, noncompetitive work.
“This could be one step of the player development changes that Redick vowed to make when he took the job this summer, a change the organization has tied to the changing salary cap rules. But, honestly, the changes probably were overdue.”
For Buss, this is valuable time for Redick, the coaching staff, and its players.
“We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish. I’m really impressed with his staff. Right now, it’s not mandatory for the players to come in and practice but players are coming in and working out. The coaching staff with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, there’s a lot of experience that will be there for him to make that adjustment to being a head coach. Certainly a 12-year career in the league, he’s got a lot of experience. He knows what this league is about and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
The Lakers named Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Bob Beyer, Greg St. Jean, Lindsay Harding, and Beau Levesque as assistant coaches to Redick, which should help ease the rookie head coach into his position.
