JJ Redick received a strong message from Charles Barkley during an on-air tangent. The ‘Inside the NBA’ host claimed the Los Angeles Lakers head coach is a ‘dead man walking’.
“He said something about we’re the reason people ain’t watching this crappy product we got,” Barkley said. “Yeah, like we’re out here jacking up 100 [three-point attempts] a night…When you come for the king, you better not miss… I got your Lakers games. You can’t hide them flaws they got. You just a dead man walking. They got rid of Frank Vogel – who did a good job. They got rid of Darvin Ham – who did a good job. You came out there thinking you were going to change things.”
Under Redick, the Lakers are 19-14 and sixth in the Western Conference. A strong start to the season had the fanbase excited for the year to come. However, a string of inconsistent performances has reminded the world of the significant task Redick signed on for when accepting the job this summer.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office have not been shy about replacing head coaches in recent years. As such, Redick will understand the importance of keeping the Lakers on track, especially if he wants enough time to implement a long-term system with the franchise.
Lakers’ JJ Redick Had Criticized NBA Coverage
Throughout the opening months of this season, there has been significant discussion surrounding the NBA’s ratings. Questions have been asked regarding how the league is covered by its media partners. The NBA is one of the only leagues in which the media consistently downplays the product and the talent within it.
During a recent news conference, Redick discussed the media’s negative viewpoints and how they could affect viewership and overall interest.
“I don’t think we have done a good job of storytelling, of celebrating the game,” Redick said on Dec. 20. “If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, I’m not going to watch the product. And that’s really what has happened over the last 10 to 15 years. I don’t know why. It’s not funny to me.”
Others within the NBA have shared Redick’s viewpoint on how the media covers the NBA. However, Barkley clearly took issue with Redick’s comments, which led to his ‘dead man walking’ tangent.
Lakers’ Reportedly Targeting a Center Via Trade
Redick’s best chance of proving Barkley wrong is to succeed with the Lakers. To that end, Pelinka must continue retooling the roster, ideally with players who fit Redick’s system. Los Angeles recently traded D’Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith in a four-player trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that the Lakers could pursue an additional center before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, as the team needs more additions at the center position. Scotto noted Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards is likely to be at the top of the Lakers’ list of targets.
“Having acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center,” Scotto reported. “The Lakers will continue to try and acquire Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas or another backup center on the trade market with their remaining future second-round draft capital, and Gabe Vincent is expected to be dangled in talks as well, league sources told HoopsHype.”
Anthony Davis thrives next to physically imposing centers, so adding a sturdy big man to ease some of the pressure on him and LeBron James makes sense. Valanciunas is likely available on the trade market. Whether Pelinka can get a deal over the line in the next month will remain to be seen, though.
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