The Los Angeles Lakers exceeded all expectations under first-year head coach JJ Redick as the team reached the 50-win plateau, laid claim to the Pacific Division title, and locked up the No. 3 seed in the always competitive Western Conference.
When you add in the fact that Redick's first head coaching job came with the Lakers of all franchises, the fact that he was able to successfully lead a roster throughout the season that has superstars on it the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and, more recently, Luka Doncic is only more impressive.
Despite all that being the case, Redick's name was nowhere to be found when the NBA announced the three finalists for the league's Coach of the Year Award. Instead, the three finalists are Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, and Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
The NBA’s award finalists: pic.twitter.com/W1Ec5YA3Su
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) April 20, 2025
In no way am I suggesting that any of those finalists are undeserving of the award. The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference regular season title with 64 wins, the Pistons returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign, and the Rockets locked up the No. 2 seed in the West with a young and, relatively speaking, inexperienced roster.
These are all impressive accomplishments that should be celebrated. However, none of those jobs come with the pressure of being the leader on the sidelines for the Purple and Gold. That's a simple fact, and even the most casual basketball fan could understand that.
What Redick was able to do is impressive on its own. The fact that he did it when his prior experience on the sidelines was limited to serving as a volunteer head coach of the fourth-grade boys team his son played on makes the Lakers' successes in his first year as head coach almost unimaginable.
While Redick will not have the opportunity to add the NBA Coach of the Year Award to his trophy case, he has the opportunity to bring a championship to Los Angeles and earn a ring for himself, which is undoubtedly more important to him.