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Lakers head coach JJ Redick during a game against the Chicago Bulls in March 2025
Former Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Rashad McCants has spoken about J.J. Redick several times in the past, going back to before Redick was appointed head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. But in light of the Lakers’ uncertain steps over the last few weeks – and sky-high profile – McCants saw fit to share his view that Redick is underperforming in the job.
In a recent appearance on former NBA All Star Gilbert Arenas’s podcast, Gil’s Arena, McCants – a regular guest on the show – described Redick as “underachieving” following a series of recent losses by the Lakers and a season of spotty play. McCants’s remark came in the aftermath of a 30-point Lakers loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 124-112 loss to the West’s worst Sacramento Kings and a 132-116 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and he specifically referenced the Lakers’ lack of improvement after the departure of previous head coach Darvin Ham.
“When Darvin Ham left,” said McCants, while wearing a full Washington Wizards uniform for some reason, “[the Lakers] were in the Western Conference Finals. J.J. [Redick] came and took over; they haven’t been back. […] He’s underachieving.”
“When Darvin Ham left, [the Lakers] were in the Western Conference finals. JJ [Redick] came and took over, they haven’t been back… He’s underachieving.”
– Rashad McCants 👀
(via @GilsArenaShow)
Criticism Of Redick’s Criticisms
The format of Gil’s Arena is not designed to lead to nuanced analysis, as anyone who sees the clip of McCants’s latest appearance and sees how much of it is taking up by Arenas’s performative shouting will immediately have noticed. That said, this is certainly not the only instance in recent times where Redick has been the target of criticism – from both inside and outside the NBA.
Redick’s outspoken nature invites the same in return. As a former podcaster and pundit himself immediately prior to the Lakers gig, Redick has publicly criticized his team in a way not often seen from an NBA head coach; back in December, after a 23-point loss to the Houston Rockets, Redick publicly described his team’s effort levels in strong terms, stating that his players “don’t care enough to be a professional.”
This attempt at accountability has been interpreted by other pundits as a lack of accountability on Redick’s own behalf. The perpetually unafraid ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins publicly criticized Redick’s approach to team accountability after the Rockets loss, chastising him for what in Perkins’s estimation was a tendency to blame others, rather than recognising that a team’s struggles are only ever a reflection of the coach. Perkins focused on the accountability of leadership after the Lakers let defensive lapses and execution issues mount; McCants’s comment, by contrast, implies that regardless of the specifics of who takes what level of accountability, the Lakers should simply be better than they currently are.
Lakers Improved Offense, Worse Defense
At the time of writing, the Lakers stand in the provisional fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 29-18 record, a .617 winning percentage entirely in line with last season’s .610 pace and 52-30 record. The process by which they have gotten there, though, has changed under Redick’s tenure.
The 2024-25 Lakers had the 12th-best offense in the NBA, and the 15th-best defense. Due to good play in the clutch aided by a healthy slice of luck, they overachieved on their overall metrics; on neither side of the ball, nor in any one area of the game, did the Lakers stand out as a team. Under Redick, the offense has improved to the sixth-best in the NBA – but seemingly has done so at the expense of the defense, which is now the sixth-worst.
McCants implies, and others have directly stated, that the Lakers’ inconsistent results as symptomatic of organizational leadership issues. Criticism of professional coaches and public figures in sports is part of the job, and is always going to happen; we all do it. And we are not all necessarily fair with it. But for as long as Redick openly attempts to hold his players publicly accountable, the public will do so back at him. Even if they are wearing a full Wizards uniform at the time.
Mark Deeks I am continuously intrigued by the esoterica and minutiae of all the aspects of building a basketball team. I want to understand how to build the best basketball teams possible. No, I don’t know why, either. More about Mark Deeks
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