Lakers Assemble JJ Redick Backup Plan with Latest Hires
![Jul 2, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Jul 2, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_9335,h_5250,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/195/01j1wpxp8prakbmw2ha7.jpg)
The Los Angeles Lakers have been filling in some holes in the organization over the past couple of weeks. A major domino that fell was re-signing LeBron James on Wednesday.
The next focus for the Lakers is filling out the rest of the roster and adding to the coaching staff around JJ Redick.
The Lakers' newest additions to his staff have paved the way for a backup plan if things go left for Redick.
Lakers News: Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks Added To Coaching Staff
ESPN Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks as top assistant coaches on JJ Redick’s new staff. Redick gets two longtime head coaches with a combined 1,189 victories to surround him. pic.twitter.com/zRtTNlroFp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2024
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles has hired Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks to become the lead assistant coaches on the staff.
These two guys have a combined 1,189 wins in the NBA. The Lakers' plan was always to surround Redick with some experienced coaches, as he's never coached in the NBA.
The Lakers have a lot of faith in Redick, comparing him to Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Even though they boast this confidence in Redick, their two new additions provide them with a fallback plan. If things go wrong for Redick this year, Los Angeles has two experienced coaches to pivot to.
McMillan has a 760-668 career record, with stops with the Atlanta Hawks, Seattle Supersonics, Portland Trailblazers, and Indiana Pacers. He's led his teams to 11 playoff berths, going 28-48.
As for Brooks, he was the lead man for the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder, logging a career record of 521-414 and a 49-48 record in the postseason.
They have a combined 31 seasons of coaching experience. The Lakers have gone through five coaches over the past decade, showcasing ownership's lack of patience.
If Los Angeles starts off rocky, they have two experienced guys to choose from to potentially replace Redick, which is certainly the worst-case scenario for Laker fans.
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