You may remember some controversy when the Los Angeles Lakers chose JJ Redick as their new head coach.
You may remember the Lakers defending the hiring of a coach whose previous coaching experience consisted of his son’s youth basketball teambolstered by three years as an ESPN broadcaster and podcaster, following a 15-year playing career in the NBA.
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It’s possible you remember it, but something tells us that Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch certainly does.
During an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show”, Finch – who actually worked as a coach in the NBA and other professional leagues for 24 years before getting the T-wolves job – introduced himself to the crowd with quite a zinger.
“I bet three-quarters of those people will go home and do a podcast tonight,” Finch said. “I mean, that will qualify you to coach the Lakers.”
This phrase received a delighted response from the live audience, while Lowe only responded with a worried smile to his co-host and “That’s right.”
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It’s probably worth noting that this seems more playful than vicious on Finch’s part, but it’s still likely to land as a brutal blow for some people. There’s no denying that this comes from a place of truth, as the Lakers’ hiring of a rookie coach who also happens to be LeBron James’ podcast partner remains one of the wildest swings in recent NBA coaching hire history.
JJ Redick hasn’t been the disaster some feared when the Lakers hired him. He’s still going to be the butt of a few jokes. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Harry Comment via Getty Images)
Did the rental work? Well, the Lakers went 50-32 last season, but they were depleted come playoff time, with Finch’s Timberwolves knocking them out in five games in the first round. In one match, Redick used the same quintet of players for the entire second half, then irritated when asked questions later.
This season, the team is 8-4 despite James’ absence, with two wins against Minnesota. Of course, any assessment of Redick’s hiring must come with the note that the Lakers have completely changed course as a franchise with the Luka DonÄŤić trade, which became increasingly infamous for the Dallas Mavericks and increasingly funny for Los Angeles.
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There have certainly been complaints about Redick along the way, but he certainly does better than some of the other coaches hired with his level of experience. Still, the jokes will continue until the Lakers do something in the playoffs that make them feared again.
