'JJ IS EXACTLY WHERE HE WANTS TO BE' 👀 Stephen A. on Redick interviewing with Lakers | First Take

W narowski regarding the Los Angeles Lakers in their coaching search JJ reic will formally interview for the LA Lakers coaching job this weekend in a strong performance is expected to move him to the Forefront of the franchise's search major news for our guy JJ uh Wendy tell me what are you hearing about this yeah well you know the Lakers um they when they started this search they really wanted to try to EXP the horizons because the amount the the the available candidates that were out there with NBA experience I don't know if they believe that they were needle movers you know the Mike but holer was on the market but he wanted the sun's job they moved fast to get him he's coaching his hometown team after that the Lakers really I think were trying to look a little bit outside the box because if you look at the Western Conference it's so tightly packed the difference between the team in 10th place and the team in fourth place there's just very little air in there and so while you do win with your roster and while the Lakers big moves in the off season have got to be roster based they're trying to figure out how they can find a needle mover that can give them an edge and so that search has led them a little bit far field and it led them to Dan Hurley because they felt that he was a kind of a culture center and development guy who could potentially be a high risk High reward you want somebody with a high ceiling it's almost like having a draft pick in the 20s you're not going to get your number one pick their number one pick might have been Ty l or Eric spola um you know or Steve Kerr those Co coaches aren't available so if you're down the list you pick the player with the you pick the option with the most upside so that's why JJ has been on their list I think they've been obviously very impressed with seeing him how he's talked about the game on television over the last few years obviously from his career and and seeing him play you know he's a very cerebral player and a smart guy but then this podcast with LeBron James people want to mock it or whatever I can't think of a more Innovative way to have a coach interview for a job than to spend hours and hours and hours with the star player it happened to happen in public whether it happens in public or not it's an incredible stress test to see the two of them do it and they're talking about losw Angeles Laker plays and Los Angeles Laker basketball in style and stuff like that um and I think JJ has stayed incredibly disciplined throughout this process he's been under a terribly big microscope he's got to be on television and and radio and the internet every single day and he has never said anything that's put him out of position for this I do think it's going to be a very hard job I do think that the chances of success are going to are narrow the Lakers have one top seven finish in the Western Conference in the last 12 years overcoming that is going to be hard but I can see why JJ is getting an opportunity here and I can see why the Lakers are interested in going down this path Wendy's such a nice guy I mean you really should run for office I mean I vote for you you know you're just such a nice guy I I I gotta tell y'all listen let's a couple of things out of the way before I even get into my point um getting back to Joe Missoula he's got two assistants on his squad one's about to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets Charles Lee the other should be a prime head coaching candidate in Sam Cassell who's paid his dues who's also a champion as an NBA player okay so let's throw that out the way first now let's get to this point about JJ Reit Wendy you lost me and here's when you lost me when you talked about a terrible microscope really I mean I mean oh my God you know JJ red is in town maybe when I see him I'll go over them give him a hug I mean a terrible microscope that's what we going to use that's analogy we going use a terrible microscope I mean my my my God like somebody's forcing him somebody forced him somebody forced them to do the podcast somebody forced them to be on national television as a commentator somebody forced them to be a part of a team with ABC oh we we we we've imposed so much on JJ stop that stop he's exactly what he wants to be he's exactly what he wants to and JJ reck if you watching I'm not throwing no shade on you you know you're my brother I got love for you you understand listen if this was if this is what JJ wants I hope he gets it I'm not rooting against him I'm rooting for him but what we're not GNA do is sit here and act like somehow some way he's victimized by all of this oh no this is exactly way he wants to be a matter of fact matter of fact he made noise but he made noise Molly by getting ejected from his which I still tease him about he got ejected coaching his son I mean he got ejected from a from a little league game you this is JJ re we're talking about here okay so we got to understand no shame can I just tell you on on one point though I mean he was put in an unfair situation last week all of a sudden it was like breaking news he had the lak job it was Stephen that happened last week it was like breaking new let me just say let me finish my thought it was like breaking knews he got the Lakers job and then we found out that it was really Dan Hurley that they were pursuing Etc and that was like all over the how was that unfair how that unfair because it wasn't it wasn't correct it was it was factually incorrect so then yeah it was factually it was fact it was factually incorrect that didn't affect JJ reic if anything name ination oh please please my please no no no no had no negative effect on JJ R and let me get to my last point because somebody got to say it so I'm G to say it you do understand what's coming down the pike Andrea and Wendy in the next few days right Wendy knows this is coming because you see the Los Angeles Lakers went and talked about Danny Hurley and that noise leaked out right and remember what Wes reported because this is w we talking about that brother don't miss much and this man said quote there going to make a record deal offer to Danny Hurley and sure enough it was to be the sixth highest paid coach in the NBA one would argue that guess what we gonna throw this off at Danny Hurley so it can look like that's where our Interest really really lied knowing we're going to present an offer there's no way in hell he would accept because it's the sixth highest paid to ultimately go after the dude LeBron wanted all along I don't believe that's true I'm not saying it is but you know that is what people are going to say the minute JJ Walks up in there officially for this interview now that it's reported it's going to happen and earier at rained two time defending national champion considered the best coach in college basketball the cachet that he brings Etc was worth more than $1 million a year when the coaches in the NBA the top coaches are getting paid 17 you 6 million off and five guys get paid higher if not more that's a problem watch the story lines floor is yours Andrea here's here's the thing whether it's JJ reick which JJ is my guy we talk basketball all the time I want nothing but the best for him like you said Stephen A I want whatever JJ wants that's exactly what I want to happen I have no ties to any of the other coaching candidates if JJ wants to be the coach I want JJ to be the coach what I want more than whatever JJ wants to happen is that if he gets the job he is given Runway to figure it out because what we've seen from the Lakers is they haven't given coaches time to figure it out think about it you're coming into a situation whether you're friends with LeBron or not figuring out how to make that teamwork around LeBron playing at this high level that's going to take time implementing any type of culture especially defensively is going to take time there are questions when it comes to the roster and then even in the future whenever LeBron decides to depart that's also going to be a change that potentially JJ reic will need time to figure out I don't care who the coach is I hope it's JJ if that's what he wants but more than that I hope he has given an adequate amount of time especially as someone that hasn't been a head coach at this level before to figure it out because right now to me I think it's a terrible situation to go into this and not be given an actual chance to put it together the expectation for the Lakers to be a championship team next season is delusional it's going to take more time than that no matter who the coach is well wait a minute Andrea yeah wait a minute I understand what you're saying however I want that for JJ too but we want it because he's our colleague and we know him if nobody else is getting any damn Runway why should he doin ham didn't get it V on a championship he didn't get it just saying he should be subjected to what everybody else is subjected to that's what I'm saying no he he shouldn't be I understand what you're saying I would want this for whoever the next coach is because this process you you just heard Wendy say they haven't been higher than seventh in the West in how many years Wendy when's the last time they were seventh in the west one time in 12 years one time in 12 years ien to win the title that year the the reason the next coach should get Runway is because this system of rotating coaches in and out isn't working and I hope on the Lakers side that's what they realize this system of rotating coaches in and this feris will whatever you want to call it merg go round of coaches is not it's delusional you know what's Insanity expecting doing the same thing and expecting different results I hope the Lakers make a change in the way they view this head coaching position as they decide who it is next Stephen A let me ask you this let's let's pretend JJ or Wendy I'll come to you let's pretend JJ does get the job what's realistic with this roster and how thick the West is how far this team could potentially go putting realistic expectations on it for next season and for him well it's very hard to know the way the whole West will look because this SE this NBA season isn't even over yet and then we have a transaction season before we see things you know theak currently based on currently where we stand what would you say is really in all honesty if the Lakers finish in the top six next year they'll have done well that's me sitting here today with what they've got if they if they're able to get in the top six they will have done well and I will say this I don't care if you hire the greatest coach in the history of the game in his first year he will make mistakes so everybody's got to understand that you go with a firsttime head coach and that's the factor I look at it differently I agree with your point about top six but here's what I would say when you have two superstars like a LeBron James and an Anthony Davis here's how I think a CO a coach particularly someone like JJ reck if he were to get the job should be judged and by the way let's not forget the name Mark Jackson let's not forget the name Sam Cassell let's not the name Jeff and Gundy people like that it's applicable to all of them but any coach Andrea and Wendy I would say this to you let me lose because of them the other pieces around them I need you to show me they're getting better because I know what LeBron could do I know what Anthony Davis could do and if the other guys around have their potential maximized and it comes down to them that I know you as a coach did your job if the other dudes aren't doing what they're supposed to do just doing their job then I'm looking at the coach with a raised eyebrow because I need you to get the most out of them so I can look at the stars and say I got all right we took care of this but you that dude getting 50 million you the you you you part of the logo you're the one that you're the face of the franchise here you go take it I need you to be able to I need you to be able to put them in a position where I'm able to put it in their hands and hold them accountable as opposed to them being able to look at the parts around them and go like this look what I got to work with look at this they they just can't get it done I can't play one on five or two on Five basketball and win I need help you don't need the coach enabling his stars to be able to say that get them get the parts around them to do their job I agree with you Stephen A I just think that alone takes more than one season sometimes it might even take two like for the head coach it's so different think about Joe missou in the situation he's in right he gets Drew holiday he gets christop porzingis two pieces that he knows fits into a system that he already has in place so you're asking whoever this next coach is whether it's JJ or someone else to figure out what the system is try to stick to that in their first season and then also try to maximize the other players and figure out how potentially new pieces fit into a new system I get what you're saying I just think it's going to take more time than one season it could be a mess next year Drea what do you think's fair in terms of years like a coach should be given when we talk about this revolving door and it's not working with the coaching situation more than two it has to be more two has two hasn't That's the basis six years 7 six years you think they would give JJ six years that's what they offered Dan Hurley [Music]

Channel: ESPN

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Keywords: first take, first take nba, lakers, lakers jj redick, lakers heach coach search, espn first take, stephen a. smith, first take espn, nba on espn, stephen a smith, stephen a first take, nba first take, stephen a smith first take, espn, nba, espn nba, first take today, stephen a. smith first take, first take stephen a. smith, first take stephen a., los angeles lakers, jj redick, lebron james, jj redick lakers, lakers news, dan hurley, nba news, lakers head coach

Id: yBB5WmU9h0A

Length: 13min 33sec (813 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 13 2024