Newly-minted Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick has no shortage of doubters as he heads into his first NBA coaching job. But Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is not one of them.
Speaking to Jim Rome, Kerr declared that Redick is “going to be great” for the Lakers. He praised Redick for his intelligence and knowledge of the league.
“JJ is going to be great,” Kerr said. “I mean he’s smart as hell, he’s been in the league for so long, he understands how this league operates.”
Kerr said that while Redick is likely to face a “learning curve” in his first year, he has a “unique set of circumstances” that could be conducive to a strong career with the Lakers.
“Obviously, there’s a learning curve for everybody. But each one of us has our own unique set of circumstances that we deal with and I was given a golden opportunity, no pun intended, you know when I became the Warriors’ coach in 2014 with a talented young roster.
“As coaches in the NBA we’re all kind of dependent on the talent and character of our players and the support that we get from upstairs and so everyone has a unique set of circumstances.”
Warriors HC Steve Kerr on the learning curve for new Lakers head coach JJ Redick. pic.twitter.com/pN4FWl55Cj
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 25, 2024
But Kerr also made it clear that Redick will have to earn everything he gets and that nothing is guaranteed.
“JJ will find his own circumstances and as we know in this league, nothing is guaranteed, nothing is given,” he said. “The league’s never been crazier… It is nuts. So in my mind, you go in and you try to unify with your front office, your management and try to build something solid and see where it goes.”
Will Redick find success with the Lakers this season?
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