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Ex-76ers Player Weighs In on Lakers’ JJ Redick, Bronny James

One former Sixers player recently dished his thoughts on JJ Redick's start with the LA Lakers.

Justin Grasso

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to his team during the half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to his team during the half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley is liking what he sees out of the Los Angeles Lakers to start the 2024-2025 NBA season.

As the former Sixers sharpshooter JJ Redick took over as the head coach of the roster headlined by LeBron James, a lot of skepticism has been created around the Lakers since Redick lacks coaching experience.

Recently, Beverley called out the early critics, who don’t have much to say at this time.

“If the Lakers would have started off 0-3, everybody would have been yelling, ‘Fire JJ Reddick!’ Everyone!” Beverley said on the ‘Pat Bev Pod.’

The former NBA guard then went on to predict where the Lakers would land in the Western Conference while giving a unique reason for LeBron and the Lakers’ early success under Redick.

“Top four seed in the West [for the Lakers],” Beverley said. “Marking it now. Marking it now. I'm calling it the Bronny Effect. They draft Bronny, and look what happens. Everything changes in LA.”

That’s not Beverley trying to say that Bronny, the son of LeBron, will be a key player in the Lakers’ quest for a top seed. Instead, the former Sixer believes the rookie’s presence alone has sparked a new motivation for LeBron, who remains a dominant player at age 39.

Through the Lakers’ first six games of the year, LeBron is averaging 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 33 minutes of action. He’s made nearly 50 percent of his shots from the field and knocked down nearly 40 percent of his threes. The Lakers currently place fourth in the Western Conference, holding a 4-2 record.

Bronny has been sprinkled into Redick’s gameplan a bit through the first six games, but it’s clear the second-round pick still has a lot to work on before he becomes a consistent rotation player for the Lakers. Still, Beverley believes the “Bronny Effect” is real, and the Lakers are going to find continued success under Redick.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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