The Los Angeles Lakers made a polarizing decision when they announced that JJ Redick was going to be their newest head coach.

Redick was a well-liked player when he was in the NBA, but considering his relationship with LeBron James, many wondered if this was more of a nepotism hire than anything else.

There was also concern that Redick didn’t have enough coaching experience and that he would do more harm than good to the organization.

While these concerns were potentially valid at the time, Redick has proven that he’s more than just a gimmick.

The Lakers currently hold a 34-21 record, the fourth-best in the league.

This has caused several analysts and fans around the NBA to sing his praises, including Kendrick Perkins, who gave him props during NBA Countdown.

“He’s a top-10 coach in the NBA today,” Perkins said.

“He’s a top-10 coach in the NBA today.” – Kendrick Perkins on Lakers head coach JJ Redick 🏀🎙️ pic.twitter.com/m15quX01QS

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 24, 2025

Perkins likes what he’s seeing from Redick and the Lakers thus far, and believes the first-year coach is doing well with the tools and players at his disposal.

It helps to have Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the roster, certainly, but bringing a team together isn’t always easy, especially when you have two superstars on the same roster.

Redick is finding that balance with Doncic and James, and this team has played a lot better than many expected under his leadership.

It will be interesting to see what this team does down the stretch, but if they make a deep playoff run and potentially win the NBA Finals, all of Redick’s naysayers will be silenced.

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