As the days go by, it’s becoming more and more likely that JJ Redick will be the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Just three years ago, Redick was playing in the NBA as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Coaching the Lakers would be his very first coaching experience of any kind.
The potential hire has many former NBA players questioning whether or not it would work, including Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis.
During the newest episode of Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the two former NBA All-Stars discussed whether or not former players like JJ Redick could immediately become a head coach without any coaching experience.
“I definitely feel like a former player can just go right into coaching,” Baron Davis said. “Because that’s also another gift of how they played and how they talked, you know what I mean? Or how they saw the game. So I’m more for that, of throwing somebody in there that played before learning on the job. At least you’re going to get a culture, and something that person wants to bring.”
Many other previous coaches who were former players spent years on the bench as an assistant coach, like Ty Lue of the LA Clippers. Redick will have immediately jumped to being a head coach, but both Davis and Carmelo believe it can work. However, Carmelo does simultaneously believe on the side of caution.
“I f**k with it,” Carmelo said. “I mean a lot of times it don’t pan out. I mean if you look at guys who have been in situations where they went straight from playing to coaching. I mean you look at Jason Kidd left us went straight to Brooklyn. I had just played against Derrick Fisher four months ago and he was my head coach. You know what I mean? It was like those type of situations that haven’t worked out for whatever reason, they haven’t worked out.”
It remains to be seen whether or not JJ Redick actually becomes the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, but it’ll certainly be the most scrutinized coaching position in the NBA.
