Lakers must show patience with JJ Redick

The Los Angeles Lakers rolled the dice when they hired JJ Redick. He joins the franchise with no prior coaching experience at any level and has never worked as part of a coaching staff. As such, Redick has surrounded himself with expertise, including Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks. 

Nevertheless, if things don't work out, Redick will see his reputation tarnished. According to Jeanie Buss, the Lakers front office is willing to show patience. They want Redick to implement a new system that not only improves the current rotation but also helps develop the team's younger talent. Buss understands that those changes take time to happen. Implementing a new system was also a core reason the team initially tried signing Dan Hurley.

“We wanted to kind of think a different way,” Buss said during an appearance on LA AM 570. “Really, he’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball stuff, but we were looking for a candidate who would bring something different and really invest in developing young players. JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want the work to really speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish." 

Redick will bring a plethora of new ideas to the Lakers. He has quickly developed a reputation for having a high basketball IQ, courtesy of his podcast work with LeBron James on the "Mind The Game" podcast. However, drawing up actions on a whiteboard and making them work against a live defense of world-class athletes is a different challenge. 

The rookie head coach has already earned praise for changing how the Lakers' practices are run, focusing heavily on live-ball work rather than stagnant drills. Nevertheless, any significant changes he makes, especially in developing talent, will take time to pay dividends. Buss and the Lakers front office are clearly aware of their new path. As such, they must give Redick multiple seasons before his work can be judged.

Of course, when you're coaching in Lakerland, time is a rare commodity. Redick knew that when he took the job. Both sides have taken a gamble with this move, but Buss is saying the right things for now. We will better understand how truthful she's being when the Lakers inevitably experience a tough spell in the upcoming season.