“He was nonetheless seething and upset concerning the earlier recreation,” Windhorst added, earlier than resharing an anecdote from TNT coloration commentator Reggie Miller, who stated throughout Wednesday night time’s broadcast that he needed to calm Redick down throughout a pregame assembly.
“JJ was performing, frankly, childishly,” Windhorst stated.
Windhorst additionally talked about Redick walked out of a pregame information convention after turning into offended over a query about his rotations, which the NBA insider criticized as a poor look.
Arguably, Windhorst’s harshest criticism of Redick got here when discussing the Lakers lineup. He described Redick’s determination to make use of solely 5 gamers for everything of the second half of Sport 4, a 116-113 loss, as “irrational” and ripped him for “doubling down” on the technique afterward.
“After which, on this recreation,” Windhorst continued, “he put a man [Maxi Kleber] who hadn’t performed in three months forward of facilities he had on his roster.”
“Kleber’s on the court docket with 5 minutes to go in a two-possession recreation. That’s not a rational determination,” Windhorst asserted.
The Lakers boldly employed Redick, a former 15-year veteran and podcast host, as head coach in June 2024 regardless of him having no prior teaching expertise.
Whereas he fared higher than most anticipated as a rookie head coach in guiding the Lakers to the West’s No. 3 seed, Redick’s inexperience was partly accountable for his workforce’s fast playoff exit.
The Lakers have lots of work to do with their roster this offseason to keep away from the same destiny in 2026, however their head coach has simply as a lot, if no more, room for enchancment.
As anybody who watched Redick on ESPN’s morning reveals final season is aware of, the previous Duke Blue Satan typically presents himself as the neatest within the room. There is a high quality line between educated and condescending, and he would typically fall into the latter.
“I do know I may be higher,” Redick said in the immediate aftermath of the Lakers’ Wednesday loss. Not less than considered one of his former co-workers agrees.
