The Lakers are banking on J.J. Redick to break them out of their mold. This is not a franchise that historically was great at non-star player development, something they could overcome because star players (and quality role players) wanted to come there, either via free agency (LeBron James) or trade (Shaquille O’Neal, for example).
With its second apron and other restrictions, the new CBA is forcing franchises to rethink how they build their rosters. That includes the Lakers. They say it’s at the heart of why they hired the inexperienced J.J. Redick as their next coach — maybe it made LeBron and Anthony Davis happy, but the Lakers are banking on this being a long-term move that sets the franchise on a new course. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss talked about it on the Petros and Money show on Los Angeles radio station 570 AM in Los Angeles (hat tip Hoopshype).
“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. I’m really impressed with his staff. Right now, it’s not mandatory for the players to come in and practice but players are coming in and working out. The coaching staff with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, there’s a lot of experience that will be there for him to make that adjustment to being a head coach. Certainly a 12-year career in the league, he’s got a lot of experience. He knows what this league is about and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
Lakers fans think and hope so, too.
Coaching the Lakers — or being in their front office — presents unique challenges. Make no mistake, the Lakers have distinct advantages. They have a legacy brand. Their massive fan base can mean sponsorship or other opportunities for players. They are in a city with great weather where players want to be — LeBron James chose to come there, and other players dating back to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have pushed their way to Los Angeles. On the business side, the franchise generates revenue like no other and it has the best local television deal in the league.
The Lakers also come with challenges. The expectations of the fanbase are often unrealistic — and when those expectations are not met they want heads to roll.
More importantly, the Lakers are a mom-and-pop operation in some ways compared to other NBA franchises. The Lakers are a throwback in the sense that they are family owned — the Buss family, where Jeanie Buss is the governor and top decision maker — and most of the family income is generated by the team. Today’s NBA owners (for obvious examples, Steve Ballmer with the Clippers, Joe Lacob and the Warriors ownership group, and most recently, Mat Ishbia buying the Suns) made their money in other businesses, and the team is not their primary source of income. The Lakers are the Buss family business, and that can lead to some interesting dynamics. The Lakers also have a much smaller front office and scouting staff, their basketball operations in general are smaller, than most other teams.
To keep winning at the level fans expect, the Lakers have to be more creative. The Lakers in the next era will require a better in-house player development program, they have to nail their scouting and draft picks (which they have done well historically but have been more hit and miss in recent years), and lay a steady foundation on which they can add (or trade for) the stars who still want to come. However, that foundation has to be there, the Lakers cannot just expect the brand to be enough (ask the Knicks of the last couple decades, before Leon Rose/Tom Thibodeau changed their culture).
That’s a lot to put on Redicks’ shoulders, but he knew and wanted this when he put his name in for the job. The Lakers need to be patient and give him a few years to establish himself and his program, at which point the Lakers will likely be undergoing a transition on the court anyway. Then we can see if this was a good hire and the Lakers start to think differently.
