Former LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson believes Purple and Gold fans must be patient with newly-minted franchise head coach JJ Redick. The former NBA sharpshooter replaced Darvin Ham earlier this summer and the role marks his maiden stint as a coach. Redick comes in with no prior coaching experience, and that was one of the key talking points among fans and analysts leading up to his hire.
Johnson, speaking on KCAL News, stressed that patience was the need of the hour and that Redick would also benefit from LeBron James as the Lakers captain.
“We as Lakers fans gotta give JJ Redick some time to help him understand how to utilize the talent, coach the talent, what schemes will work, and what won’t. This is not going to be easy. But I think having LeBron as your captain, and AD will be of help him.”
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
It is worth noting that Johnson, a 5x NBA champion with the Lakers headed the franchise as their president of basketball operations a decade ago. He was key in bringing LeBron James to LA, and the move resulted in the side winning a title in 2020, followed by four playoff appearances in six seasons.
The Lakers enter unchartered waters this season with their roster from last year and a young coach. It will be interesting to see how the two moves pan out for LA this season.
Jeanie Buss explains decision behind JJ Redick’s hire
Earlier, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shed light on the decision behind hiring JJ Redick as the team’s new head coach. Speaking on LA’s radio show ‘Petros and Money’, she said:
“We wanted to kind of think 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 and really invest in developing young players. JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want to work to really speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish.”
From stating he had plans to use Anthony Davis as the hub of the Lakers offense, to stressing player development, and usage of analytics, Redick has made his plans clear for the side this season. Whether they make a deeper run in his rookie season as head coach remains to be seen.
