Having Luka Doncic on your team always makes things easier in the NBA. Let's get that fact out of the way before embarking on a way-too-early Coach of the Year discussion involving Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
The Lakers' early success in 2026-27 is owed to Doncic more than anyone else. The 27-year-old is performing like the best player on the planet, and he's giving a darn on defense, too, at least compared to previous years.
Luka's Robin, Austin Reaves, has delivered when called upon. So, too, has Walker Kessler, LA's big signing from the offseason. It's still mighty early in the campaign, but the Lakers' Big 3 looks strong.
JJ Redick has worked around Lakers' weaknesses and showed his strength as a head coach
It takes a village to win in the modern NBA, meaning you need depth that extends far past the best five or six guys on your squad. That's where Redick's work comes into the picture as particularly important. It's up to the former Duke Blue Devil to craft LA's depth chart into something resembling a well-oiled machine.
Redick's done that so far, and he's done it despite the Lakers having clear weaknesses from a roster standpoint that we all knew about entering the season. First of all, this isn't and was never going to be a great defensive club. But it hasn't mattered in the early going, and this is an issue that must be revisited in the postseason to figure out the true answer to whether or not it will doom the Lakers in the end.
Beyond that obvious defensive weakness, however, the Lakers simply don't have a backup center at the moment who is playable (sorry, Kevon Looney), and they're also short a ball-handler and another big wing. Redick has adapted to his ever-changing circumstances and made it all work so far. But the work is far from complete.
While injuries around the NBA may have given certain teams a boost, the Lakers still need to be wary of their deficiencies. Redick, in particular, is tasked with continuing to improve LA's defense while maximizing its offense and outscoring opponents. Luka will definitely help with the latter assignment.
Let's give Redick a ton of credit for making this all work so quickly. The Lakers had massive roster turnover in the offseason, and no one would have been surprised to see this team start .500 or something similar over the first 20 games. It takes time to jell. Players need to learn each other's tendencies. The usual stuff.
Redick has skipped some of that and gotten right into the thick of Western Conference supremacy in the early going. He's been frank in press conferences about LA's challenges with a new roster. He's not making excuses; just acknowledging the reality of his situation. He's rolled with every punch, and he's been quick on his feet to make adjustments. This is the DNA of a successful head coach.
For a guy without any prior NBA coaching experience to now be in just his third season and having this kind of success? It's impressive. And if the Lakers keep winning at this rate, we'll be able to have more serious Coach of the Year discussions about Redick in a couple of months.
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