Richard Jefferson, a former NBA player, has weighed in on the criticism surrounding JJ Redick, the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, who lacks coaching experience.
During a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, Jefferson pointed out that while some criticism was directed at Redick, much of it should be attributed to the instability within the Lakers organization itself.
“The criticism in my opinion, there was a portion of it that had to do with JJ, and a lot portion of it had to do with the Lakers and their organization,” Jefferson said, via ClutchPoints.
Jefferson elaborated on a hypothetical scenario involving Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra, suggesting that if a stable organization like the San Antonio Spurs were to appoint Redick, the criticism would likely be less severe.
“If Pop were to retire and JJ were to get that job, and Pop were to go into the front office and be Pat Riley, and they were like JJ ‘you’re going to be Erik Spoelstra,’…I think the criticism would be exponentially lower,” Jefferson explained.
He emphasized that the Lakers’ inconsistent coaching history since Phil Jackson’s departure has amplified the scrutiny on Redick.
“So you’re like okay, you’re going to throw a person that everyone believes is an intelligent basketball mind and has the will and want to do it, but you’re going to put him in a situation that historically, and I say historically, since Phil Jackson left, has had in and out of coaches,” Jefferson added.
He defended Redick’s basketball acumen and willingness to coach, suggesting that placing him in such a turbulent environment contributed significantly to the criticism.
“I think the criticism of JJ was a bit unfair but I think it was more of because the Lakers have been so up and down,” Jefferson concluded, providing a nuanced perspective on the challenges facing Redick.
