Lakers Guard Expects JJ Redick to Lead LA to Finals

Will Redick bring the Lakers back to the Finals?

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers gave rookie JJ Redick the game ball after earning his first victory as the Lakers head coach on Thursday. The Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in their third preseason game of the year thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback which sealed the first win in the Redick era.

The Lakers had previously lost their first two preseason games to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns and were on the verge of losing their third straight on Thursday. The Lakers trailed the Bucks by six points at the half and remained behind as the fourth quarter began.

The Lakers did not let that lead last though. The Lakers put up a tremendous effort in the fourth quarter — at one point scoring 20 straight unanswered points — and outscored the Bucks 33-20 in the fourth quarter to earn a 107-102 victory.

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht played a significant role in the Redick's first win. The No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft played a team-high 34 minutes and recorded 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

After the game, Knecht said that the game ball for Redick was "cool," but that they're looking forward to getting him one in June — when the NBA Finals take place.

"We've got that game ball for him," Knecht said, via Dave McMenamin. "The first one's cool, but he knows he's got a whole bunch of them and we'll be there June and get some more."

The Lakers are hoping that Redick will prove to be the coach to lead them back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2020 when they won their 17th NBA championship in franchise history. While Redick had no prior coaching experience before the Lakers hired him as head coach and had since worked in broadcasting after his playing career ended, the Lakers decided to take a chance on him.

In the meantime though, the Lakers have three more preseason games — two against the Golden State Warriors and one more versus the Suns — before the regular season begins. The Lakers open up the season against the Timberwolves at home on Oct. 22, which will be Redick's first opportunity to earn a meaningful win as head coach.

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