By crashing out of the playoffs on April 29 instead of April 27, the Los Angeles Lakers saved themselves from a repeat sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. But that wasn’t enough to save Darvin Ham from being shown the exit door. It marked the end of a two-year stint, bringing LeBron James that much closer to retirement. Since that playoff exit, though, LeBron has not only recorded a podcast with Ham’s potential replacement but also gotten some sound advice that could see King James play for that much longer. And the premise of JJ Redick’s advice? “Three-point shooting is pretty important.”

Until the Lakers were still in the running, teams that made more threes in the playoffs were 27-9. And teams that just attempted more threes were 27-8. That’s the stat Redick brought up on the Mind the Game Pod with LeBron James, establishing the importance of three-point shooting. Considering there’s no other shot that awards more points than a three, “if you’re going against a team that’s going to shoot 40 to 45 threes and you’re going to shoot 25 to 30, you better nail all of your advantages. Otherwise, you’re not gonna win.” It’s as simple as that for JJ Redick. And LeBron James agreed.

That style of play, though, isn’t for every team. And per the Brooklyn Basketball Academy coach, “I’ve recognized you’ve gotta have the personnel to do all these things.” Was he subtly hinting at how he could be the person to help the Lakers do this? Well, LeBron James is definitely someone he could work with in that department, especially after the 20-time All-Star’s admission.

He said, “I’m warming up more and more as I wind my career down on the three-point attempts.” Acknowledging that and LeBron’s ability to create windows for his teammates, Redick added, “You attacking the basket is actually what makes an offense work. So you could individually say, ‘You know what? I’m going to shoot 15 threes tonight. I’m going to shoot 20 threes.’ Is that the best way for the team to run an offense now?” Talking about having someone who could “feast off our offense by getting up in the lane,” James surmised,

“I can see myself maybe…” But just as he was about to say, “…shoot 8 to 10 threes per game,” Redick playfully quipped, “…playing another six years just being a spot-up shooter, maybe?” That said, whether or not it’s the best way to run an offense, it’s certainly what the Warriors do. It’s why Stephen Curry scored the most three-pointers (357) in the 2023-24 regular season. It’s why the Warriors have held that regular season record – shared between Curry and Klay Thompson – since 2020-21. As for LeBron and what he said, here are a few stats: –

Considering these numbers, it’s evident that LeBron James’ three-point conversions have improved over the years. With the 161 buckets made in the 2021-22 season – his highest in the past five campaigns – his conversion rate was 35.93%. Despite attempting almost 100 three-pointers less this season, he was just 12 baskets short of that 161 – shooting 41.6%, his career best.

With his focus on three-pointers, JJ Redick suggested LeBron take a slightly different route this time. “I think you should just do a complete heel turn next year,” he said. But he didn’t stop there. Offering help to the Lakers star, Redick, who scored 41.5% of his threes throughout his career, added, “I’m gonna send you all my tapes, I’m gonna send you all my highlight videos.” 

Maybe Redick won’t need to send his highlight reel to James. Perhaps he’ll show it to him and the rest of the team during practice if he becomes the head coach for the Lakers. Even though Redick’s only coaching experience is his 9-year-old son’s team, his strength comes from his intimacy with the locker room dynamics. He can relate and connect with players on a deeper level. With his 15 years on the court, Redick knows what it means to be a part of the team and how one can navigate the dynamics between a player and a coach.

JJ’s suggestions to LeBron were interesting in light of the Head Coach rumors. If anything, they added fuel to the fire. As speculations swirl around the Lakers’ coaching vacancy, Redick’s name stands out. But he isn’t the only name on the Lakers’ mind.

Lakers’ growing silence on their Head Coach vacancy

After letting go of Darvin Ham following their playoff exit, the Lakers have been searching for a replacement. Since Phil Jackson left in 2011, no coach has stayed with them for more than 3 years. Many names have come up: Mike Budenholzer, Terry Stotts, Kenny Atkinson, and several others. But JJ’s name has gained the most attention from fans because of his friendship with LeBron.

Mike Budenholzer has also emerged as a likely successor to Darvin. However, analyst Brian Windhorst claimed he didn’t see it happening because of the Lakers’ potential budget. Budenholzer is very sought after and might demand eight figures a season, and Los Angeles may not be willing to pay that much. Reportedly, Kenny Atkinson and Terry Stotts have an excellent shot at the position, too.

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Although fans have claimed that LeBron James may leverage his friendship to JJ Redick’s benefit, that might not be true. The player claims he has kept his distance from the hiring process in the past and will more than likely continue to do so. Regardless, JJ’s attempt at helping and advising LeBron may encourage speculation. But even if Redick were to join the Lakers as their head coach, fans can only hope the team has a better shot at a championship ring next season.