Lakers’ new coach JJ Redick is confident in his star players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, going all in on the team’s 2024-25 campaign.
Following the appointment of JJ Redick, the Los Angeles Lakers aim to establish stability and continuity within a team that has been in transition since the 2020 NBA championship.
The frequent changes in coaching, three coaches in four years, are not typically associated with a winning culture, which likely led to the decision to bring in a young, first-time coach.
To be fair, Darvin Ham skillfully steered the Lakers through the Russell Westbrook dilemma, maintaining team unity despite a 2-10 start to the 2022-23 season. Following trades that corrected the Westbrook error, the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals, only to be swept by the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Despite the setback, the effort was commendable, and the addition of playoff-caliber players like Gabe Vincent and towering figures like Christian Wood raised hopes among fans for the Lakers’ resurgence as contenders. However, Ham’s erratic lineups and tactical decisions during games disrupted the team’s harmony, leading to another faltering entry into the postseason.
After a 4-1 series loss to the Nuggets in the first round, the Lakers parted ways with Ham. He had witnessed his team squander substantial leads repeatedly, with minimal offensive strategies and poor adaptation to Mike Malone’s tactics.
The question remains whether JJ Redick can support the veteran superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, particularly after their Olympic gold medal victory in Paris.
In a recent LakeShow Podcast interview, Redick expressed confidence in the leadership and self-management abilities of his star players.
“Look, those guys are professionals in every sense of the word. My concern for them about whether or not they’ll be ready to play on October 22 and be in shape, I don’t have that concern,” Redick said.
“We’re gonna work with Mike and Ish making sure that they feel that they’re in a great place to start the regular season. They’ll certainly be involved in training camp and the preseason here in September as well as preseason games.”
Post the Dan Hurley debacle, supporters are hopeful that Redick will refrain from excessive lineup changes and will implement offensive strategies that leverage the strengths of James and Davis, who remain a formidable duo as evidenced by their performance in the Paris Olympics.
Nonetheless, the dynamic between James and Davis may be waning, and Redick is under immense pressure to secure a title before a likely team overhaul.
With the addition of Bronny James and the promising Dalton Knecht, all attention is on Redick, the ex-podcast host and analyst, as he maneuvers through the challenges of the Western Conference.