The Los Angeles Lakers have been without a head coach since they fired Darvin Ham after losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
Well, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the search for a new head coach may be coming to a conclusion soon.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the front-runner to be the franchise’s next head coach,” Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Tuesday. “No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in their head-coaching search process. But the indications are strong that Redick is their leading choice at this stage.”
A decision will not likely be made until after the NBA Finals, as JJ Redick is taking part in the coverage of the series featuring the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
Related: Rookie Of The Year Hails Matthew Stafford As ELITE
The other top candidate that has been reported is former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego. There are some rumors out there now that if Reddick were to be hired as the Lakers head coach, Borrego would be brought in as an assistant.
Is The Lack Of Experience of JJ Redick A Concern For The Los Angeles Lakers?
Redick retired as a player in the NBA in 2021. He had an illustrious professional career but has never coached at any level. Since retiring, Redick has hosted a successful podcast and has thrown himself into broadcasting.
There is no doubt that Redick has tremendous knowledge of the game. He has always been highly respected by his peers as well. But is he truly the best candidate for a franchise that seems to be at a crux, and nearing the end of the LeBron era?
Coaching a LeBron-led team is a challenging task in itself. Perhaps, management feels that Redick would bring a different approach to the way things have been. It is also known that Redick and James have a great relationship off the court, and even host a podcast together called Mind The Court. He could almost use the final LeBron years as a sort of ‘training period’ and then when James retires, he would have the experience to lead the team into a new era.
Regardless, the Los Angeles Lakers should have a new head coach sooner rather than later.
