The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended in a massive disappointment as the third seed in the Western Conference lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games despite having home-court advantage. In a series they were favored by sportsbooks, the Lakers were overwhelmed on both ends of the floor. As it's often the case with the Lakers, the blame game began almost immediately, and head coach JJ Redick found himself in the middle of serious criticism.
While some Lakers fans weren't particularly impressed with the job Redick has done in his first year, the Lakers' top brass seems pleased with where the team is under the first-time head coach. On Thursday, GM Rob Pelinka gave his stamp of approval for Redick, highlighting how secure the young head coach's job is.
The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported that Pelinka liked "the complete revival of energy, incredibly hard work ethic, attention to detail, and spirit" Redick brought to the Lakers.
"Our level of confidence, my level of confidence couldn’t be higher. He’s a great partner to work with. He’s an incredible basketball mind, and I know that every year for him will be things to celebrate and learning lessons. That’s just who he is. That’s exciting for the Lakers, for our fan base and for our future."Lakers GM Rob Pelinka
Pelinka went on to say that he has the utmost confidence in Redick and is excited to continue working with him.
While Redick certainly made questionable decisions in the playoffs, such as not using a single sub in the second half of Game 4, it would be difficult to argue that he hasn't done a good job in his first season. He was given a challenge of adjusting on the fly after the blockbuster Luka Doncic and playing the rest of the season without a viable frontcourt rotation. He was still able to lead this team to 50 wins and home-court advantage.
With another offseason to address the team's needs, the Lakers have the chance to get back to contention in the 2025-26 season. The real test for Redick will only begin when LA has a championship-caliber roster.