The Los Angeles Lakers put an end to the Darvin Ham era this past offseason when they chose to fire the head coach who once took them to the Western Conference Finals. One would be hard-pressed to find any Lakers fans who miss the man. This is especially true considering how great JJ Redick has been.
Redick has the Lakers on the precipice of locking up a playoff spot should they hold on to win the game against the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The more important story of the evening, of course, is Luka Doncic returning to his old stomping grounds to play his former team.
One quote from Redick made it abundantly clear just how fortunate the Lakers are to have him as the head coach for a stage like this.
Redick continues to prove how much Lakers upgraded from Ham
The Lakers head coach has been full of great quotes, good answers, and a proper handling of a team as large and important as Los Angeles in his rookie season. That says a lot considering the big deal some made about Redick having no coaching experience when he took the Lakers' job. Almost every time that the former NBA sharpshooter speaks to the media, it is obvious just how wise Redick is beyond his coaching experience.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Lakers coach talked about the massive moment that this game was. Redick made sure to display that neither he or his team would get lost in it.
"He obviously meant a lot to Dallas, and Dallas means a lot to him," the former teammate of Doncic spoke of the player he now coaches.
Despite that, Redick was not about to get caught up in the spectacle. The head coach answered another one of Lisa Salters' questions with a clear message about what the approach this evening will be.
"We've got to do it together," Redick told Salters. "Luka's not going to beat the Mavericks. LeBron [James] is not going to beat the Mavericks. We've got to beat the Mavericks."
Ham was often criticized by the fans for faltering on stages where the lights got bright. That is clearly not who the new Lakers head coach is. Redick, a recently retired player and brilliant basketball mind, has continued to display the ability to remain poised. That is absolutely a step in the right direction for the Lakers and their organization.