The NBA on Tuesday named Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault and Detroit Pistons‘ J.B. Bickerstaff as the Western and Eastern Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November. Lakers head coach JJ Redick wasn’t among the top-5 candidates in the West.
Per the league office, David Adelman (Nuggets), Mitch Johnson (Spurs), Jordan Ott (Suns) and Ime Udoka (Rockets) were the other West head coaches to receive votes, with Redick’s name nowhere to be found.
That’s unfathomable.
Daigneault and Bickerstaff were objectively the correct choices, given that the Thunder (.952) and Pistons (.800) had the best records during that timeframe. However, the Lakers had the third-best record (.789) during games in October and November, going 15-4 despite a plethora of injuries.
JJ Redick Not Top-5?
Not having Redick even in the top-5 candidates in the West is absurd, even though Ott and Johnson have been tremendous as first-year head coaches.
Redick has completely overhauled the Lakers’ culture since taking over the job in 2024-25, after a tumultuous two-year stint under Darvin Ham. Also, the Lakers’ late-game execution, after timeout (ATO) plays and rotations have been sharper since the Duke alum assumed the clipboard for the Purple & Gold.
Under Redick, the Lakers have gone 57-4 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter, the best record by any coach in NBA history, per Spectrum SportsNet.
Lakers Winning Again
In his first season, Redick led the Lakers to a 50-32 record, marking the first 50-win season for the franchise since 2019-20. He also became the first rookie head coach to win the Pacific Division and 50 or more games for the Lakers since Pat Riley in 1981-82. Furthermore, he ensured the Lakers secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Redick was so incredible as a rookie coach that the Lakers added years to his contract, a rare occurrence in the modern NBA where coaches are fired left and right.
This year, he seems primed to lead the Lakers to at least 50 wins once again. LeBron James couldn’t be more proud of his former podcast co-host.
“He’s going to tell you exactly how he feels if you’re not doing it right, but it’s going to be in a very stern but loving way,” James said of Redick’s coaching style on his “Mind the Game” podcast recently. “It’s not how he says it — it’s about how you accept it.
“He’s right to the point, no sugarcoating it. Listen, this is how we want to play. And if I’m seeing possessions or things not up to our standard and what the coaching staff is putting out there, I’m going to show you my reaction. It’s not to down you; it’s about you understanding what we’re trying to build long term, and I can respect that.”
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