‘No Accountability’? JJ Redick’s Words Come Back to Haunt Him After Playoff Collapse
JJ Redick was a surprise HC choice for the 17-time NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers. Many doubted his capability as a coach, especially in a star-studded locker room with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the mix. He was praised as an analyst and was known as a brilliant mind in the league. Coaching is different from making comments on it. And at the end of the season, that universal truth might have come to bite him.
JJ Redick, when working with ESPN on the First Take show, was outspoken as an NBA analyst. Analysing the Milwaukee Bucks’ struggles at the Bucks in February 2024, the former Clippers player didn’t hold back. He did play under Rivers for four seasons, and hence the words hold more weight.
“I’ve seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus… there’s never accountability with that guy.”
These are strong words for an experienced coach with an NBA championship under his belt. Fans were shocked by the words, and Reddick stood by his words. Now, a year later, tables have turned as JJ Redick is now behind the desk facing the press and answering questions. And when the press asked him a reason behind his early exit, Redick said, “He only had 13 games with his playoff rotation and these things don’t happen overnight.”
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JJ Redick Provides Bold Season Ending Review
So that was his first reaction to the loss. In the season review, Redick’s side advanced to the postseason without facing the play-in game for the first time since 2020. The third-place finish was a commendable achievement. But the Lakers’ HC was not satisfied. The demanding Coach of the Season contender.
The first-year head coach, JJ Redick, called out his team for not being fit enough to compete, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Sadly, the team looked overworked in the Postseason games and lost the series in five games. Redick said he wanted his players to “get in championship shape” over the summer. As McMenamin mentioned, Redick did not name the players he wanted in shape.
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