When the Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick to be their head coach in 2024, lots of people doubted he was the right man for the job. He had virtually no coaching experience, and he had been a broadcaster and a podcaster, with his most notable podcasting gig being his role as co-host on LeBron James' "Mind the Game" podcast.
But he showed promise last season when he guided the Lakers through roster changes and off-court obstacles to the third seed in the Western Conference. This season, they struggled for a good portion of their schedule, but they won 16 of 18 games in late February and March and got the fourth seed. Now, without the injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they have taken an improbable 2-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Redick has put together a defensive game plan that has made the Rockets seem all mixed up. Houston has scored a total of 192 points in the first two games, and it has been unable to find an elixir to the Lakers' help schemes on the perimeter.
Former NBA center and current ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said on "Get Up" that Redick is clearly outcoaching Ime Udoka, his Houston counterpart, and he also had some harsh words for the Rockets.
“The Rockets are the dumbest team and the most selfish team in the postseason,” Perkins said. “JJ Redick is coaching his ass off, so much that he's coaching circles around Ime Udoka.
“We can blame Kevin Durant for those nine turnovers, but we can also blame Ime Udoka for having Kevin Durant in that position, knowing that they're going to send two people at him every single time and double him.”
After missing Game 1 with a knee contusion, Durant returned for Game 2, and most expected the Rockets to tie the series as a result. But after he scored 20 points in the first half, he only mustered three points on 1-of-5 shooting afterward. The Lakers sent two and sometimes three defenders at him, and Houston was unable to make them pay for that strategy, as it threw up brick after brick from 3-point range.
Udoka will have his work cut out for him as the series shifts to Southeast Texas for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Perhaps he will make an adjustment that will get his team's offense going just enough to allow it to be competitive. But if that doesn't happen, Durant and crew will be in deep trouble.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Kendrick Perkins: JJ Redick is 'running circles around Ime Udoka'