When JJ Redick spoke to reporters for the first time as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in June, this is what he looked like. He had the dark suit, the neatly styled hair and, above all, the fearless self-confidence. “I really don’t give a fuck,” Redick said in response to a question related to skeptical comments about his ability to jump from the broadcast booth to the bench. In fact, Redick had a charisma reminiscent of Pat Riley, a comparison that the Lakers' leadership made internally. Riley led LA to four titles, a high standard for a rookie to live up to.

Other teams have hired former players with no coaching experience, with mixed results. The most encouraging example is Steve Kerr, who led the Golden State Warriors to four titles, including in his rookie season in 2014–15, after inheriting a team that had one playoff series under his predecessor Mark Jackson (himself). had won three years as a coaching newcomer). Then there's Steve Nash, who, despite having a wealth of talent at his disposal in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, was fired after two early playoff exits followed by a narrow 2-5 start the 2022–23 season.

“It's a different challenge,” said former Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, who was a player, broadcaster and assistant general manager before taking over Chicago's bench in 2008 at age 42. “You can watch as many films as you want, you can think that you have the best plays and things like that. No matter how smart you think you are and how much other experience you have, there are things that are going to happen.”

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In Chicago, Del Negro says he leaned on a staff of experienced assistants led by former head coaches Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff. Every morning, Del Negro met with Harris to discuss offensive game planning. He would then consult with another assistant, Bob Ociepka, who handled defense. Bickerstaff criticized the practice and the way Del Negro ran huddles in the game.

“I quickly realized there was never enough time,” says Del Negro, who went 41-41 in each of his two seasons in Chicago and is now an analyst for NBA TV. “When you're a young coach, you think: OK, I'm going to do three or four things today. And you realize, depending on who your audience is, it’s better to make sure you’re perfecting one, maybe two things rather than being mediocre at three and four.”

Like Del Negro, Redick has assembled an experienced team led by Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks, both former head coaches. Early on, Redick's message was simple: Get organized. Privately, players complained about the uncertainty of last season's schedules under Darvin Ham and how roles routinely changed.

Another focus was improving shot selection. Last season, LA produced 10.4 mid-range jumpers per game (12th in the NBA) but ranked 23rd in their production (38.6%). Redick wants his team, which has attempted the third-fewest three-pointers in the league (31.4 per game), to shoot more from distance. While the NBA has increasingly focused on defensive versatility and a three-point attack, the Lakers have shifted toward size and a more team-oriented offense. Redick wants to change that.

But even if he does, will it matter for a team that had LeBron James and a healthy Anthony Davis last year but still didn't make the playoffs? Even though Redick is a coaching prodigy, moving up the standings in a highly competitive Western Conference will be a challenge given the roster's limitations beyond its two stars.

All Redick can do, Del Negro says, is create a standard — and stick to it.

“Coaching is nerve-wracking,” says Del Negro. “It's 24/7. Let your players know what performance you expect from them and work on it every day until you are successful.”