Why losing the Lakers job could be a blessing in disguise for JJ Redick

Heading into the offseason, only one thing was certain on the Los Angeles Lakers front. They were going to be searching for a new head coach. It was a matter of when, not if, Darvin Ham was going to be fired and sure enough, the inevitable became reality as Ham was let go soon after the Lakers were eliminated from postseason contention.

As for who'd replace Ham as the head coach, that was less clear. JJ Redick, former NBA guard and current podcast partner with Lakers star LeBron James emerged as an early frontrunner, but out of nowhere, UConn head coach Dan Hurley's name appeared in the mix.

With the way reports are right now, the job appears to be Hurley's if he wants it. The key words there are if he wants it. The Lakers will have to pay up to convince Hurley to take his talents to the NBA and rumors suggest they're willing to do that. While Redick might be frustrated if he loses out on the Lakers job, there are reasons to believe that being passed on would be a blessing in disguise for the 39-year-old

Why JJ Redick should see losing out on Lakers job as blessing in disguise

It's easy to see why Redick would be interested in this job. I mean, it's the Lakers. They're arguably the most storied franchise in NBA history and they currently roster arguably the greatest player the league has ever seen in LeBron James. As long as LeBron is there, the Lakers are a team that will be in the championship discussion.

High expectations are exactly why Redick, someone with absolutely no coaching experience, should see losing out on this gig as a blessing in disguise. Expectations for the Lakers with Redick at the helm would be, whether fair or not, to win an NBA championship immediately. Losing even in the Western Conference Finals like Ham did in one of his two years is not good enough.

Ham went 90-74 in the regular season in his two years as the Lakers coach, recording a solid .574 winning percentage. While he was eliminated in the first round this past season, he led his team to the Conference Finals in 2022-23, losing to the eventual NBA Champions. You'd think that'd be good enough for Ham to get more of a cushion, but that was clearly not the case.

Redick would have an extremely short leash to win a championship, and if he failed, he'd lose his job. The fact that LeBron is near the end of his illustrious career makes it even more pressing that he has to win immediately. Redick would have no time to grow into the job.

Look at Steve Nash in Brooklyn with the Nets. He was one of the great basketball minds but had no head coaching experience. He was thrust into the middle of a super team and was let go seven games into his third year. It wasn't all his fault, much like it wasn't all Ham's fault in Los Angeles, but lofty expectations result in a short leash.

Redick taking a low-pressure head coaching job in Charlotte with the Hornets would've made more sense had he been offered the gig. They have a young star in LaMelo Ball and absolutely no expectations to win anytime soon. That job would have allowed him to grow as a coach.

Taking the Lakers job would be fun and he'd be an immediate legend if he led the team to an NBA Championship, but he'd be seen as a failure if he fell short of that ultimate goal. For a first coaching gig, Redick should either take a lower-pressure job or find a team more ready to win than the Lakers.

The fact of the matter is he's just six months older than LeBron. Redick already has jobs as a podcaster and NBA broadcaster. If he wants to take a coaching gig, he should wait for the right one to emerge. This Lakers job, as inciting as it might be, is not it for a coach with no experience.