In an episode of Spectrum Sportsnet’s series “Backstage” which will be following the Los Angeles Lakers’ season from start to finish and giving fans an unprecedented level of access to the team, saw head coach JJ Redick tell his players that he had a specific date circled on his calendar.
That day is June 5, 2025, which is Game One of the NBA Finals.
JJ Redick Sets Expectations For Lakers Squad
This season’s Los Angeles Lakers squad had probably the lowest expectations going into a season since the organization has had both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on its roster. The dynamic duo won the NBA Title in their first year together in the 2019-20 season, but haven’t made an NBA Finals since.
The years following that championship team have been littered with numerous storylines such as coaches getting fired or a ton of roster turnover that ultimately saw the Lakers get nowhere near winning a title with the exception of the 2022-23 season, where they made an unlikely run to the Western Conference Finals.
Even though the Lakers have struggled to have consistent playoff runs over the past few years, it is difficult to get used to a world in which a team that James is playing for doesn’t have a realistic chance at winning an NBA Title.
Also Read: JJ Redick Praises Anthony Davis’s Industrious Efforts
Despite the odds that a near 40-year-old James is beating with his play at this stage of his career, he can’t carry teams on his broad shoulders throughout the season anymore, and the Lakers don’t have the talent of some of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Although many don’t believe that the Lakers are a championship contender, that is clearly not JJ Redick’s mindset. The first-year head coach is not letting the perceived notion of what his team can achieve this season stop him from dreaming big.
In the episode in which Redick set out his goal, he also spoke about what he would be expecting from Laker players.
“What’s a realistic expectation for this group? No major offseason moves. Got the 30th-best coach in the NBA. We have to become a process-oriented team. Where every day we come in here the work matters, the details matter,” Redick said.
There was a lot of curiosity as to what kind of head coach Redick would be as he had no coaching experience before this season. It’s very early in his tenure but it seems like he is someone that players can relate to.
After all, he is recently retired and was a broadcaster/analyst for ESPN prior to taking the Lakers head coaching job, so he was still close to the game post-playing career.
An example of Redick building comradery with his players occurred in a practice video posted on the Lakers’ social media where they were doing a guards versus bigs drill. Everyone looked like they were having fun, and Redick even joined in on the action and guarded center Jaxson Hayes.
Are these expectations realistic?