{"id":205370,"date":"2026-07-17T15:36:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=205370"},"modified":"2026-07-17T15:46:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:46:31","slug":"lakers-zach-guthrie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/07\/17\/lakers-zach-guthrie\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Make Crucial Investment With Promotion of G League Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> have proved it\u2019s never too early for a G League call-up. The team has added Coachella Valley Lakers head coach <\/span>Zach Guthrie<\/span><\/a> as an assistant to JJ Redick, while also naming him the head of player development.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers Make Crucial Investment With Promotion of G League Coach<\/h2>\n

The move comes months after Guthrie guided the then South Bay Lakers<\/a> to the Western Conference Finals on the heels of a <\/span>league-best 26-10 season<\/span><\/a>. He <\/span>assumed the role in 2024<\/span><\/a> after stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. 2025-26 also marked <\/span>South Bay<\/span><\/a>\u2019s first conference finals appearance since 2018, thanks in part to the Lakers\u2019 two-way players\u2014<\/span>Drew Timme<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Chris Ma\u00f1on<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Nick Smith Jr<\/span><\/a>. Guthrie has also mentored current Lakers throughout their various G League assignments while helping other promising players earn their shots in the NBA.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a February interview with <\/span>ClutchPoints<\/span><\/a>, Guthrie opened up about the synergy between South Bay and LA:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in lock step in terms of understanding what JJ, Rob [Pelinka], the front office, what everyone wants out of South Bay. . .our communication is excellent. We have clear standards of what we want and what we want to accomplish, and having the same communication systems. We might not necessarily run every play the same. We don\u2019t have a LeBron James, we don\u2019t have a Luka Doncic or an Austin Reaves. So we run things slightly different. But the language is the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For a franchise that\u2019s leaned heavily on its G League affiliate over the years, adding the lead architect behind its recent success is an excellent sign for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What he\u2019s done with South Bay has been tremendous. https:\/\/t.co\/vVnoCgdaBL<\/a><\/p>\n

— Laker Central (@LakerCentral365) July 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n