"At times, JJ seethes": Brian Windhorst gets candid about Lakers head coach's approach to his role
NBA insider and analyst Brian Windhorst was not too high on how Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick handled his first playoff series. He said the first-year head coach was immature at times, which put him in a very bad light.
Speaking on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption show on Thursday, Windhorst elaborated on his criticism of how former colleague Redick approached his affairs with the Lakers in his first postseason appearance.
He believed that Redick could have done far better in dealing with the outside noises and not let them affect his coaching duties.
"I don't like saying it, because we all had a personal relationship with JJ and I have such an immense respect for him. And I think he really did a great job this year [as coach]...
"[But I think in this series] At times, JJ seethes. I think he is smart. I think he is great for the Lakers, but at times he seethes and that puts him in a bad position. And I think he was seething the last few days."
JJ Redick drew a lot of criticism for the game plan he had in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not hide his displeasure with it.
He chose to stick to playing small ball and at times over-extending his players, including 40-year-old LeBron James, which left them spent by the end of the game. The tack eventually took a toll on LA as they went on to lose the series, 4-1.
JJ Redick looks to address Lakers' roster woes following early playoff exit
JJ Redick admitted that the LA Lakers were not in a prime position to go deep in the playoffs this season. It is something he is looking to address following their first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The first-year Lakers coach spoke about it during the team's end-of-season press conference on Thursday, highlighting the need for them to collectively be in championship shape moving forward.
"We have a ways to go as a roster, and certainly there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape, there's certainly other ones that could've been in better shape," he said. "That's where my mind goes immediately."
In his first year as coach, JJ Redick steered LA to a 50-32 record, third in the Western Conference.
Midway into their campaign, they saw a major roster change, landing superstar Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deal for a package that included All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
While they had continued success following the deal, it posed problems, especially in the playoffs against the bigger Timberwolves team.
