Coaching the Los Angeles Lakers is one of the most demanding jobs in all of sports, especially when it comes to fan and media scrutiny. That's why Lakers fans wondered if JJ Redick could handle the heat in his first year in L.A., considering that the former NBA sharpshooter had never held a professional coaching position before.
Despite the initial concerns, Redick exceeded expectations. He coached the Lakers to a 50-32 record, earning the Western Conference's No. 3 seed to begin the postseason. Unfortunately, Los Angeles' playoff run ended as quickly as it began, resulting in Redick drawing plenty of criticism from fans and the media alike.
JJ Redick Accepts Criticism for Lakers' Early Playoff Exit
Following the Lakers' disappointing elimination, Redick spoke with the media during the end-of-the-year press conference. The 40-year-old head coach addressed the criticism he's received due to L.A.'s poor playoff showing, and was more than willing to accept his fair share of the blame.
"We all know what the Lakers is," Redick said, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "I talked about it when I did my opening press conference. I know what I signed up for, and I know there’s a lot of blame that gets placed on me, and I’m willing to accept that. Believe me, no one’s harder on me than me."
After the failed Darvin Ham era, Lakers fans were ready for a breath of fresh air.
Fortunately, that's exactly what Redick provided and has continued to do so despite an early postseason elimination. While some coaches might shy away from the blame, L.A.'s head coach is doing anything but that. He plans to use the offseason as an opportunity to improve himself.
"I’ll use my own thoughts to evaluate myself, and I’ll use what my players say and what my coaching staff says to evaluate. But I know I can be better," Redick said after Game 5. "I don’t necessarily take any satisfaction from how the year went. That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do... But there’s always ways to get better."
While some of the Lakers' postseason gaffes were Redick's fault, such as playing only five players for Game 4's second off, other issues aren't. For example, it isn't his fault that Los Angeles failed to properly address its frontcourt depth before the postseason, which was a flaw the Minnesota Timberwolves easily exposed in the opening round.
It'll be interesting to see what Redick's lineup will look like when the 2025-26 NBA season begins. Not only do the Lakers have several pressing needs, but LeBron James' future is uncertain as no one is sure if he'll opt into his player option, leave in free agency, or retire altogether.
With how much has happened and been said only days after Los Angeles' elimination, it's safe to say the fanbase is in for an interesting offseason. Redick better buckle up because this is the life of a Lakers head coach.