Stephen A. Smith Makes A Big Statement About JJ Redick
All of a sudden, the Los Angeles Lakers are No. 2 in the Western Conference.
The Darvin Ham era was full of ups and downs and inconsistency, but that hasn’t been the case with J.J. Redick.
There were some bumps in the road earlier in the season, but the Lakers have been one of the best teams in the league for a month now.
That’s why Stephen A. Smith believes his former colleague deserves some strong consideration for Coach of the Year.
Talking on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith stated that Redick, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Kenny Atkinson should be at the top of the list.
“What do you say about JJ Redick? Good Lord have mercy.” 😂 @stephenasmith says Lakers HC JJ Redick is a “coach of the year candidate.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/dPBGENfbnf
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 5, 2025
It’s hard to disagree with that statement.
Redick has turned the Lakers’ defense around, and even though they clearly need more depth at center, they’re still looking like a championship contender right now.
Granted, landing Luka Doncic also helps, but the Lakers’ turnaround started before he arrived in Southern California.
There were more than enough reasons to have doubts about Redick.
As much as he had proven to be very knowledgeable about basketball, he was stepping into a tough situation.
He had just started a podcast with LeBron James pretty much dissecting what Darvin Ham was doing wrong, and that was a strange dynamic.
Clearly, he’s done a great job of keeping his personal relationship with LeBron James from interfering with his coaching.
The team has rallied behind him, and even though he still has to prove himself in the playoffs, there are reasons to be optimistic.
NEXT: Paul Pierce Says 1 West Team Is Going To Be “Dangerous” In The Playoffs
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