The Los Angeles Lakers have former NBA marskman JJ Redick in their crosshairs after firing head coach Darvin Ham. However, New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego is largely considered to be the No. 2 option in their coaching search due to his previous head coaching experience, praise for his work with the Pelicans, and his history with Lakers big man Anthony Davis. In fact, while Redick’s potential hire is clearly being made with LeBron James in mind, it appears that Borrego is Davis’s preference.
“It has been suggested in some corners of the league that Lakers star big man Anthony Davis probably prefers for James Borrego to get the job over Redick,” reports The Stein Line insider Marc Stein.
Anthony Davis’s Preference for Lakers Head Coach, Revealed?
Borrego’s history with Davis is one potential factor in the former No. 1 pick’s preference. Ego, more specifically a perceived lack of respect, is another. Per Stein, “Redick elected not to vote for Davis for either first or second team All-Defense this season.”
This countervailing nugget may not be known to Davis. However, if it is, it’s indeed significant. When Davis failed to be nominated as a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, he had a lot to say about it. To be clear, this isn’t about whether fans, media, or even rival players agree with Davis being classified as one of the league’s top defenders. Nonetheless, if his own head coach doesn’t think that highly of him, it can be the source of tension. That’s an environment and, frankly a distraction, that wouldn’t serve the Lakers well.
Two Flawed Candidates
Davis’s history with Borrego, Redick’s opinion of Davis, and Davis’s annoyance with being undervalued defensively makes the 39-year-old a hard sell. That said, James may be L.A.’s priority this offseason, but even James’s most trusted confidante in the sports world believes they should make Davis their focal point. Ultimately, Redick’s hire is a bit more than a gamble, it’s downright questionable.
Of course, he’s a keen basketball mind who played at a high level in the NBA. He’s gained the respect of James. Yet, he’s the most inexperienced candidate the Lakers have set their sights on, in terms of coaching. His comparisons to Hall of Fame head coach Pat Riley are intentionally sensational, but even Riley spent time as an NBA assistant coach before getting the top spot. In fact, he coached under Paul Westhead when L.A. won the NBA championship in 1980.
Borrego is a flawed candidate as well. He’s been impressive in an assistant coach role with both the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans. In his time as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, he was well-regarded for his pace-and-space approach. His player development skills were also highly-touted. Yet, he hadn’t shown the same prowess coaching the defensive end as he did with the offense. Furthermore, he had mediocre in-game adjustments. That he failed to hold his players accountable enough is just the icing on the cake.
However, even Borrego’s weaknesses are Redick’s question marks. Redick’s so inexperienced as a coach, it’s unclear where he can make necessary adjustments on-the-fly, one of Ham’s weaknesses. Due to his friendship with James, there’s doubt about whether he’ll hold him accountable enough.
All of which begs the question: should the Lakers be looking another direction entirely?
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