Lakers News: Why LA is ‘Infatuated’ with Top Head Coach Candidate

The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to have found their next head coach.

Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA. The Los Angeles Lakers logo on the video board at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The search for a new head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers continues—at least, that's what they're probably telling themselves. The search is as good as done, however, with reports in recent days about the Lakers "zeroing in'' on JJ Redick. 

At this point, it's Redick's job to lose. Many might ask, 'Why would the Lakers go after a person with zero head coaching experience to lead this legendary franchise?' Apparently, the Lakers are infatuated with Redick's potential. The Athletic's Jovan Buha elaborated on why the Lakes are high on the former NBA sharpshooter. 

"There are no doubts about Redick's work ethic, particularly in comparison to Ham's," Buha wrote. "One of the common internal complaints with Ham was his lack of preparation. Conversely, Redick is obsessively structured and organized, from dogmatically attempting 342 game-speed shots every day during the offseason as a player to swiftly developing into one of the game's premier NBA analysts and podcasters after retiring in 2021." 

Buha added that the Lakers believe Redick can maximize the short-term championship window with Anthony Davis and LeBron James and lead this term into the next decade or so. Redick is an intriguing candidate, as he's among the sharpest minds in the podcasting and commentator world. Although he has zero coaching experience outside of the youth level, the Lakers find his mind, preparation, and intelligence in all phases of the game at an all-time high. 

Redick's potential is high compared to that of other candidates, like James Borrego or Sam Cassell. There's a lot to like regarding Redick, but there's also a lot he doesn't know. Nonetheless, if the Lakers name another head coach outside of Redick, it would be the surprise of the offseason. We're all just waiting for the official word from the L.A. brass now. 

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