Jared Dudley Wants To Become An NBA Head Coach: 'Some Of Us Aren't JJ Redick And Get To Go Right Away'

That came across as Dudley throwing shade at Redick, who had never coached even at the high school level before getting the Lakers job. The clip went viral on X and when it came to Dudley's attention, the 39-year-old clarified that he was happy for Redick and others who got the opportunity like he did.

"JJ is my guy! Great opportunity for him! Jkidd did it so did Steve Kerr and my boy Steve Nash! Very rare opportunity! Ex players ! Gotta love it !"

Kidd got his first head coaching gig with the Brooklyn Nets just over a week after he retired in 2013. Steve Kerr, meanwhile, had only worked as an executive before the Golden State Warriors hired him in 2014. Lastly, Steve Nash had only been a consultant with the Warriors before the Nets hired him in 2020.

While Kerr proved to be a hit, both Kidd and Nash flopped. The success stories are a lot fewer in comparison to the failures if you look into NBA history. It's why the Lakers giving Redick the job wasn't ideal in my opinion, and they might end up having serious regrets.

I think Dudley would have been a better hire than Redick. Not only does he have some experience, but the Mavericks have had success during his time there. In his first season as an assistant, the team made it to the Western Conference Finals and then this past season, they got to the NBA Finals. It was reported that the Lakers wanted Dudley to be an assistant on Redick's staff but he appears to have turned down the offer.

Jared Dudley Speaks On The Misconceptions About Summer League

While Dudley hasn't gotten an opportunity to be a head coach in the NBA, he has been given the role of the Mavericks' head coach for the Summer League this year. During this press conference, he spoke on the misconceptions surrounding these games.

"There will be some 25-point scorers here in the Summer League that will not play in the NBA next year," Dudley said. "There will be some guys that average 5 or 6 that will. Take the stats out. The stats, it's more of a dead air. Now, it's overall.

"Every team has two stars," Dudley continued. "Can you defend multiple positions? Can you stay in front? Off drive and kicks, is your decision-making at a high enough level? What is your asset? Are you a shooter? Are you a grinder?"

That's pretty much the case when it comes to G League as well. It's not about averaging 20-25 points, as these players won't have the ball in their hands a lot when they get to the NBA. What teams are looking for, are players who can defend, make smart plays, and have a high motor.