NBA rumors: JJ Redick could make coaching leap right in Duke's backyard

Steve Clifford stepped down as Charlotte Hornets head coach at the end of the season. Equipped with the third-best lottery odds and a few promising young stars, the Hornets should be an appealing destination for aspiring head coaches. One potential candidate, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, has strong local ties.

The Hornets are interviewing 15-year NBA vet JJ Redick for their head coaching position. Redick, who interviewed with the Toronto Raptors last summer, is currently a color commentator for ESPN. He also hosts 'The Old Man and the Three' and co-hosts a basketball strategy podcast called 'Mind the Game' with LeBron James.

JJ Redick to interview for Hornets head coaching job

In addition to his extensive NBA resumé, Redick starred right in the Hornets' backyard at Duke for four years. A two-time ACC Player of the Year and 2006 AP Player of the Year, Redick averaged 19.9 points and 2.7 rebounds during his Blue Devils career.

He's a basketball legend in the state — at least to those who bleed Duke's shade of blue. A Redick hire might upset the UNC Tar Heel contingent in the Hornets fanbase, but even the most staunch Duke hater has to admit how intriguing the idea of Redick as head coach is.

Generally, former players offer a unique ability to command the locker room. Redick has been in every manner of competitive circumstance over the years with Orlando, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Dallas. He knows the calculus of contending locker rooms, and he has sat front row for some of the NBA's most accomplished head coaches.

It doesn't hurt to have hours upon hours of filmed evidence of Redick's basketball knowledge. He's easily the most insightful in-game commentator on the ESPN crew. His ability to break down play types and analyze player performance is virtually unmatched in mainstream coverage. Watching Redick riff on different strategies and actions with LeBron makes it easy to envision him cooking up plays for an NBA squad.

There is, of course, a difference between analyzing basketball and coaching basketball. A ton of different factors play into a head coach's success and there's no guarantee that an unproven, uninitiated head coach can make the leap. Redick has never coached before, at any level. It is exceedingly rare to see a first-time coach at the top of the NBA hierarchy. Most former players climb the assistant ranks before getting their shot. Steve Nash is a prime example of a basketball genius who leaped straight into the head coaching fire and failed.

Redick wouldn't face the same pressure in Charlotte as Nash did in Brooklyn, where he was asked to guide Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to a championship. Still, the Hornets would be taking a leap of faith in Redick. It can definitely work — he's obviously very smart — but Redick would be blazing a rather unique trail, and potentially snubbing a few more deserving candidates in the process.

The idea of a Duke legend leading the Hornets back to glory is undeniably appealing, but do not discount the risk just because Redick talks well on television.