The public has fallen in love with JJ Redick since his daily appearances on First Take and being the “chosen one” to have a podcast with LeBron James.
Redick has become one of the hot candidates to replace Lakers coach Darvin Ham, because of Redick’s reputation as a high-IQ hoops guy and also his clear relationship with LeBron James.
Reports say that Redick, a former NBA sharp-shooter All-star podcaster is the early favorite to become the next head coach of the Purple and Gold.
While his current celebrity as a talking head makes him a great public choice, there are several former players who also have podcasts and basketball opinions who don’t think the Lakers job is suited for a coaching novice like Redick.
Channing Frye Says Lakers Job Would Be Career Suicide For Redick
Channing Frye believes that JJ would be committing suicide if he took the gig.
“To be honest, I think it’s a death sentence,” said Frye. “I think he’s jumping on a grenade. I mean, I’m just being; I think JJ is a coach. I know for a fact JJ Redick is a coach, but taking that job, I just don’t know. That’s a lot.”
Frye’s concerns are more about the nature of the Lakers job and what it entails. The X’s and O’s he feels Redick could handle, even though lacking experience is a big deal at the NBA level. Redick would be stepping into his first coaching job trying to handle the high expectations and unpredictability of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the pressures and criticisms that will come if Bronny James ends up on the team with his dad.
Frye Thinks JJ Redick Would Do Better In Smaller Market With Less Drama
Coaching smaller-market or lower-profile clubs such as Detroit and Chicago, Frey adds, is not the same as sitting on the bench in Los Angeles. He noted that the coach has to be ready to win now and know what to do in all situations, because it’s not a “learn your way through the process” kind of deal.
Given the many layers of challenges the Lakers job presents beyond the court performance, Frye thinks that the next Lakers coach should be an “experienced” leader who has a firm grasp of the league and has been in that capacity for some time. He mentioned former NBA champion point guard Sam Cassell and ex-Hornets head coach James Borrego as better fits for the Lakers opportunity than Redick.
Will JJ Redick Challenge LeBron James?
“To me, you need somebody who can command that locker room and who’s gonna say, ‘Bron, I understand what you want to do, but this is my vision for the roster that we have,’ and also, the roster has issues. You can be Phil Jackson, and you still gonna have to deal with those things. So, as a first-year coach, I wouldn’t recommend that job to anybody. I wouldn’t recommend that job for anybody,” added Frye.
None of the common sense Frye is speaking will matter if LeBron is staying and says that’s who he wants to lead the show. Even if Redrick is hired, if LeBron stays and ops in on his $51.4 million payday, it’s easy to predict that Bron and JJ would be running the team in a “partnership” similar to the podcast they share together now.
How else would it work?
Earlier this month, three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams said he doesn’t think Redick has the cachet or respect to command the locker room, even if LeBron has his back.
“There is no chance that JJ Redick is going to be able to command that locker room. Yeah, he and LeBron can sit there, drink wine together, and break down plays, but it’s a little different when you have 20,000 people screaming at you, and you have 11 other players that you have to manage as well,” Williams said on the ‘Run it Back’ podcast.
This doesn’t sound too promising for Redick. Frye thinks the job is suicidal and Lemon Pepper Lou says nobody will respect Redick. Knowing JJ, that’s a perfect high-profile challenge that he would embrace and let the chips fall where they may.
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