For a variety of factors, the Los Angeles Lakers chose past NBA player JJ Redick as their new head coach. Most importantly, Redick is just the 13th non- time head coaching rent since 1990 without any previous coaching experience.
Less than 5 % of all NBA hires during that time period were made by that population. In fact, 55 % of groups that have vacancies for brain coaches have players who have previous NBA head coaching experience. Another 35 % of NBA head coaching hires have some experience on an interim or assistant coach, while another 5 % have been coached overseas or in college. UConn head coach Dan Hurley, another member for the Lakers part, would have fallen into that next class.
Redick’s hiring also supports a new trend that saw fewer past NBA players work as head coaches. 64 % of all new NBA head coaches had previous experience with either the NBA or the ABA, between 1990 and 2010. That percentage has significantly decreased since 2011 to 44 %.
None of the other four NBA head instructors hired since the regular season in 2023-23 has ended are past NBA players. Mike Budenholzer, the new head coach for the Phoenix Suns, spent years working as a Gregg Popovich associate before becoming head coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee. Charles Lee ( Charlotte Hornets ), Jordi Fernández ( Brooklyn Nets ) and Brian Keefe ( Washington Wizards ) are all young former assistants getting their first call- ups.
Speaking of children, Redick is only 39 years older, making him the second youngest head coach second season, behind Lee, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, the Utah Jazz’s Will Hardy and 2023- 24 champion Boston Celtics ‘ Joe Mazzulla. The typical age of NBA instructors has remained constant over the past few years, typically between 49 and 52 years old, despite changes in the path to becoming a head coach. The latest brain coaches for the NBA are 50 on average.
The past 12 instructors, who had no previous knowledge, were hit or miss. The two big successes were Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors ( 2014- present ) and Larry Bird with the Indiana Pacers ( 1997- 2000 ). Kerr has won four tournaments with the Soldiers and most recently signed a reportedly two-year,$ 35 million improvement. Bird reached three Eastern Conference Championships in a row.
Just two of those 12 first-timers, Kerr and Doc Rivers, who both won NBA Coach of the Year within their first two conditions, have reportedly had a four-year deal. Just Kerr and Bird won more than one playoff series, but nine out of 12 of them did so at some stage.
There were a dozen comprehensive problems. Quinn Buckner, a previous NBA champion, signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 1993 and started with 2- 39 before being fired after one year. Before being let go halfway through the following year after 40 gets and 96 costs, Derek Fisher led the New York Knicks to their worst record in company story in 2014-15.
The staff with which the Lakers surround the inexperienced Redick will be paramount, however, having a top- notch support staff does n’t guarantee success. As assistants to the Brooklyn Nets, Steve Nash, for instance, was flanked by previous head coaches Mike D’Antoni and Jacque Vaughn, as well as upcoming NBA Finals head instructor Ime Udoka, despite leading a group that included Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for just one season.
Because Twelve is a small sample size, it’s difficult to come up with any conclusive opinions about educators without any prior experience. And there are even fewer information points—zero, to remain exact—on the blogger- to- mind- coach pipeline.