JJ Redick finishes sixth in Coach of the Year voting
After a standout first year in charge with the Lakers, JJ Redick received a trio of third-place votes to finish sixth for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award.
While it may have ended on a sour note, JJ Redick’s first year in charge as head coach of the Lakers was a clear success.
After much trepidation following his hire, Redick knocked it out of the park, leading the Lakers to 50 wins and the No. 3 seed while navigating a franchise-altering trade. Justly, he received at least some recognition for his work on Monday.
Redick finished sixth in voting for the NBA Coach of the Year, earning three third-place votes. Kenny Atkinson of the Cavs won the award, followed by JB Bickerstaff with Detroit.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Award.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 5, 2025
The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ic00MtHPzq
There’s a pretty strong argument for Redick to receive even more than a third-place vote — how many coaches above him had their center traded for a point guard and didn’t miss a beat? — but arguing that may lead to missing the point that he was fantastic this season.
He brought the Lakers structure, something that hasn’t been associated with them in recent years. He navigated the waters of inheriting a flawed team that had just been bounced out of the playoffs by the Nuggets and endured multiple changes over the course of the year.
Realistically, the Lakers had about three different iterations of the team by the end of the season. And each one of them found success under Redick.
Also, helping fuel a breakout season from Austin Reaves should be a notch in Redick’s belt, too. While Reaves has constantly improved throughout his career, this season, the move to point guard after the D’Angelo Russell trade was a great success for him. That was a decision made by the coaching staff.
While the playoffs raised some concerns, that was to be expected from a rookie head coach. Moving forward, the Lakers look to be in great hands under Redick, which will hopefully lead to more success, more winning and more banners.
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