The value of NBA coaches is often debated about, but Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins agree JJ Redick was a difference maker for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Unfortunately for Redick, Windhorst and Perkins agree their former ESPN colleague was a negative difference maker as the Lakers were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to Windhorst and Perkins, Redick seemed more hellbent on coaching his way than he was making necessary adjustments throughout the series.
“Hey, I’m JJ Redick, I know basketball more than anybody in the world,” Perkins ranted to Scott Van Pelt Wednesday night after the Lakers were knocked out by Minnesota in five. “I’m going to stick with this small ball lineup no matter how big the Minnesota Timberwolves are, I’m going to do it my way because I only care about offense…I’m going to stick with a 40-year-old LeBron James playing the center position…It was ridiculous. I never wasn’t to do this and blame this series on one individual, but I have to blame this series on JJ Redick.”
The on-air battles between Perkins and Redick during their time together on ESPN were well-documented. But Perkins wasn’t alone in calling out his former colleague after the Lakers saw their season come to an end. Thursday morning, Windhorst similarly placed blame on Redick, predicting the Lakers coach will realize he didn’t put his team in the best position to win.
“JJ Redick coached very immaturely in this series,” Windhorst said on Get Up. “He was still seething and upset about the previous games to the point where Reggie Miller said on the broadcast, he had to try to calm him down in the pregame meeting because JJ was acting, frankly, childishly. He walked off and stormed off in the pregame session with reporters. Regardless of the question.”
In Game 4, Redick controversially relied on his starters for the entire second half, despite observers noticing LeBron James and Luka Dončić appeared fatigued. The Lakers ultimately blew a double-digit lead late in the loss to Minnesota. And when a reporter asked Redick about the decision, the rookie head coach took offense to the question and abruptly ended his press conference.
Redick went to his bench in Game 5, but opted to use center Maxi Kleber to close out the fourth quarter, who was playing his first minutes since Jan. 25. NBA media can try to question the decision, but Redick knows more basketball than anybody in the world. It just wasn’t enough to win more than one playoff game in his first season as head coach.