{"id":125442,"date":"2025-02-24T14:48:18","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T19:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=125442"},"modified":"2025-02-24T14:48:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T19:48:18","slug":"stephen-a-smith-lakers-coach-jj-redick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/24\/stephen-a-smith-lakers-coach-jj-redick\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith Issues Bold Claim About Lakers Coach JJ Redick"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> have caught the NBA\u2019s attention in more ways than one\u2014from a first-year head coach that\u2019s put his team in playoff positioning to a blockbuster trade furthering championship aspirations. ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith commended the Lakers after they snapped the Denver Nuggets\u2019 nine-game win streak over the weekend, including a striking statement about their leading man, JJ Redick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen A. Smith Issues Bold Claim About Lakers Coach JJ Redick<\/b><\/h2>\n

Stephen A: Redick is a COTY Candidate<\/b><\/h3>\n

During \u201cNBA Countdown\u201d ahead of the Cavaliers-Grizzlies game Sunday, ESPN\u2019s Malika Andrews brought up the Lakers in a discussion of championship odds, citing <\/span>Luka Doncic<\/span><\/a>\u2019s <\/span>belief that LA is a championship-caliber team<\/span><\/a>. When she asked Smith whether he agrees with Doncic\u2019s sentiment, he pushed back on those claims but apologized for not being familiar with the Lakers\u2019 game, adding, \u201cI did not see them being capable of [beating the Nuggets].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After heaping praise on the Lakers for their recent improvements on both sides of the ball, including saying LeBron James is \u201c40 going on 30,\u201d Smith proclaimed: \u201cJJ Redick is a candidate for Coach of the Year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe is doing a hell of a job,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd Big Perk [Kendrick Perkins] enlightened me about how brilliant they are offensively compared to what they were last year. Defensively, not so much, but that wasn\u2019t the case [Saturday] night. If <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> Los Angeles Lakers team shows up in the postseason, look the hell out, and I\u2019m not going to be mad about having to be in Southern California.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

"If that Los Angeles Lakers team shows up in the postseason, look the hell out."@stephenasmith<\/a> thinks JJ Redick is a candidate for Coach of the Year \ud83d\udc40\ud83c\udfc6 pic.twitter.com\/qhVsp6lOwp<\/a><\/p>\n

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n