After several reports and rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers have officially confirmed that JJ Redick will be the new head coach for the team. As most NBA fans should be aware, the Lakers have been on the lookout for a head coach after parting ways with Darvin Ham.
Although the Lakers were considering other candidates for the job of head coach, they have decided to go with JJ Redick, a former basketball star who retired recently and also has a good relationship with LeBron James. After hearing that the Lakers have signed a long-term deal with JJ Redick, fans took to social media in order to make their thoughts and feelings on the subject clear.
Fans think that JJ Redick will be blamed for the LA Lakers’ potential championship failure
One could make an argument that coaching the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their roster is the most stressful job in the entire NBA. However, the Lakers appear to think that JJ is up to the task and have signed him onto a 4-year deal. The exact value of the contract has not been made public information.
JJ Redick has agreed to a four-year contract to become the Lakers next HC, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/r8bQXTxyAq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 20, 2024
Upon finding out that the Lakers have made JJ Redick their new head coach, many fans worried about this decision and claimed that Redick is going to be used as another scapegoat for the failures of LeBron and his team, much like what happened with Darvin Ham, “Next lebron scapegoat.”
Next lebron scapegoat ðŸ˜
— 2active🥷🥷 (@imhimothy43) June 20, 2024
This is insane, Im happy for JJ but this is a brutal spot.
The Lakers have ZERO chance of winning anything. Bron is 40. Their roster is stuck where it is, and when they inevitably lose in the first round bc of how deep the west is, he will be blamed. Happy for him though.
— Alec Fallon (@AlecFall0n) June 20, 2024
Others even pointed out that there is no chance for an inexperienced head coach to change the situation that the Lakers are facing significantly. After all, the team’s issues will not change merely due to the presence of a new head coach. However, the majority believe that JJ Redick will be an upgrade compared to Darvin Ham.
Analysing LeBron James’ role in Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick
There is no denying that JJ Redick’s relationship with LeBron James has played a role in the decision to hire him. After all, the Lakers likely found out about his high basketball IQ and knowledge after watching his ongoing podcast with King James. Since LeBron has a player option for his upcoming season with the Lakers, it is possible that they hired Redick in an attempt to convince LeBron to stay with the team.
While LeBron might not have directly told the Lakers to hire Redick, he was clearly dissatisfied with Darvin Ham and has a sense of respect for JJ Redick. In any case, fans are left wondering if Redick will help the Lakers make a championship push and whether he will truly transform into a long-term coach for the team.