The big contrast between Darvin Ham and JJ Redick for the Lakers
There have been many skeptics when it has come to the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to hire former NBA sharpshooter and podcaster JJ Redick to be their head coach. Redick, 40, had never been a head coach or even an assistant coach previously, either at the pro or college levels, and that, along with his friendship with LeBron James, caused many to predict that he would crash and burn.
But so far, things have looked pretty good for Redick. The Lakers won their first preseason game of 2024 on Thursday by erasing a late 15-point deficit with a dizzying 20-0 run sparked by some pressure defense and their running game. That 107-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks has provided a glimmer of hope that L.A. can have some success once the real games commence.
According to Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the team seems to love playing for Redick. In contrast, it was very unhappy last season with Darvin Ham, Redick's predecessor (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via Hoops Wire:
“Although the Lakers have only played two preseason games (both losses) under Redick, NBA sources have told Hoops Wire that players have ‘loved’ everything Redick has brought to the table,” Mathur wrote.
“Those same sources also said that Lakers players ‘hated’ playing for Ham, who is now an assistant coach with the [Milwaukee] Bucks.”
Some national pundits questioned the Lakers' decision to fire Ham last spring, especially after he guided them back from a 2-10 start to a Western Conference Finals appearance during the 2022-23 season.
But multiple reports indicated that players simply didn't trust or believe in Ham last season, especially after James reportedly started to ignore him during huddles.
Ham is now an assistant coach for the Bucks, the team he had previously been an assistant coach with prior to being hired by Los Angeles in 2022. Meanwhile, the Lakers have moved on and are embracing Redick's leadership style, as well as his emphasis on organization, detail, analytics and player development.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: The big contrast between Darvin Ham and JJ Redick for the Lakers
