5 Biggest Expectations On Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick For The 2024-25 Season

After weeks of speculation, it was finalized that JJ Redick was named the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite playing 15 years in the NBA at a high level as one of the best shooters of his generation, JJ Redick is a rookie head coach who has a tall order on his hands when it comes to trying to lead LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers to regular season and postseason success. Even if Redick hasn’t had a day under his belt as an NBA head coach, he will come under scrutiny throughout the season if he does not meet the five biggest expectations in the 2024-25 campaign.

1. Coach LeBron James… Not Be Coached By Him

LeBron James is undeniably one of the greatest players in NBA history, and his presence on the Lakers is both a blessing and a challenge for any head coach. JJ Redick, stepping into his new role, must ensure that he coaches LeBron effectively without being overshadowed by his star player’s strong personality. In recent seasons, LeBron has shown his ability to dominate even against his own coaches, often leading to friction and undermining their authority as we saw with Darvin Ham.

Redick must establish his authority early, ensuring he is seen as the head coach and not merely a facilitator of LeBron's strategies. Redick's relationship with LeBron, built through their podcast "Mind the Game," where they discuss basketball intricacies, could be a double-edged sword. While this partnership has worked more than perfectly, Redick needs to ensure that their professional relationship remains clear-cut.

Redick must be able to balance his respect for LeBron's game and knowledge with his responsibility to lead and make critical decisions. This balance will be essential in maintaining team harmony and ensuring that LeBron feels guided rather than controlled. To succeed in this, Redick must leverage his deep understanding of basketball and his fresh perspective as a former player who recently transitioned into coaching.

2. Reach The Western Conference Finals

The Lakers are perennially expected to be contenders, and for JJ Redick, the bar is set high. The 2024-25 season demands that Redick lead the team to at least the Western Conference Finals, a benchmark established by Darvin Ham in his first season as head coach. Ham’s success with the Lakers set a precedent that Redick must follow, particularly given the talent at his disposal, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Achieving less than a Conference Finals appearance could be perceived as a failure, especially in the twilight of LeBron's career, where every season is critical.

Redick’s rookie season as a head coach will undoubtedly be under intense scrutiny. The pressure to match or exceed Ham’s accomplishments will be immense, but the presence of seasoned stars like LeBron and Davis provides a solid foundation. By leveraging their talents and ensuring the team plays cohesively, Redick can push the Lakers deep into the playoffs, meeting the high expectations placed upon him.

To achieve this, Redick will need to emphasize strategic planning, in-game adjustments, and player management. His ability to make critical decisions during high-stakes moments will be tested, and he must demonstrate his coaching acumen under pressure which won’t be an easy task.

3. Finish With A Top-Four Seed In The West

For the Lakers, regular-season performance is a key indicator of their potential postseason success. After finishing in the play-in tournament last season with a 47-35 record, the Lakers need to demonstrate growth and improvement by securing a top-four seed in the Western Conference. This achievement would not only avoid the extra games and potential pitfalls of the play-in but also signal that the team is a legitimate contender.

Under JJ Redick’s leadership, the Lakers must aim to be more consistent and dominant throughout the regular season to ensure they are well-positioned for a deep playoff run. Redick’s challenge will be to maintain high-performance levels across the grueling 82-game season, balancing rest and rotation to keep key players like LeBron and Davis healthy and ready for the postseason. 

Achieving a top-four seed will also demand that Redick effectively manages the younger talents and role players, integrating them into a cohesive unit that can compete with the best teams in the league.

4. Unlock Austin Reaves

One of the most intriguing aspects of JJ Redick’s new role as head coach is his potential to unlock the full potential of Austin Reaves. Reaves, at 26 years old, has shown flashes of brilliance as a scorer, playmaker, and clutch performer despite being an undrafted rookie. Redick has expressed his eagerness to coach Reaves and help him develop into a more prominent role after the shooting guard posted 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this past season.

By giving Reaves more opportunities with the ball, designing plays specifically for him and boosting his confidence, Redick can nurture Reaves into becoming the third star that the Lakers desperately need. For Reaves to reach his full potential, Redick must be strategic in how he integrates him into the team's offensive schemes. Increasing Reaves' involvement in the offense will not only improve his individual performance but also provide the Lakers with a more dynamic offense.

Redick's own experience as a sharpshooter and his understanding of the game can be instrumental in mentoring Reaves, helping him refine his skills and decision-making on the court. This mentorship could be the key to unlocking Reaves' potential and elevating his game to new heights.

5. Improve The Lakers’ Putrid Defense

Defense has been a glaring weakness for the Lakers, who ranked 23rd in the league last year by conceding 117.4 points per game. This inconsistency on the defensive end has hindered the team's ability to dominate games and secure wins because the Lakers ranked 20th in defense the year prior (116.6 OPPG). JJ Redick, despite being known more for his offensive prowess as a player, must prioritize improving the team’s defense.

Redick will expect to instill a defensive mindset within the team, emphasizing effort, discipline, and tactical awareness. While he may not have been a defensive specialist during his playing career, Redick’s understanding of the game and his ability to communicate effectively with his players can help bridge this gap.

Implementing defensive schemes that maximize the strengths of players like Anthony Davis, who is a formidable rim protector, will be crucial. Additionally, Redick must ensure that the team maintains high defensive intensity throughout the season, reducing easy scoring opportunities for opponents and start claiming their status as an elite team in the West in LeBron James’ final years.