The Los Angeles Lakers have an interesting dynamic with head coach JJ Redick and superstar Luka Doncic. They were once teammates on the Dallas Mavericks, but now, they have a head coach and star player relationship. Naturally, they will clash heads because of their prominent roles.
One of those disagreements was caught on camera. Doncic was subbed off, and when he got to the bench, he and Redick had an argument. For some people, that is not a good look because it was clear that Doncic was frustrated. However, Klutch Sports super agent Rich Paul disagrees with that sentiment.
Paul knows Doncic and Redick's arguments will help them improve
Doncic is the Lakers' best player, so having a strong relationship with him matters. Redick has experience working with Doncic, dating back to their days in Dallas together. Of course, a coach-player relationship is different from a teammate dynamic, but Redick is likely well aware of that.
Through the past two seasons, Redick has done well to establish himself as an NBA head coach. It has its ups and downs, but he is aware of that due to his lengthy playing career. Now, he has to juggle tactics with improving team dynamics, which will include some arguments from time to time.
MORE:Luka Doncic-JJ Redick awkward exchange on Lakers bench goes viral during blowout win over Warriors
Jarred Vanderbilt got in the way during Redick and Doncic's argument, which was necessary before it got too heated. It is normal for athletes to feel frustrated with their head coach, which is why teammates help let cooler heads prevail.
Klutch Sports head Rich Paul does believe that this will only help the Lakers in the long run.
"That leads to a healthy relationship. That means there’s a profound respect for the player, and there should be a profound respect for the coach. It ultimately leads to a healthy relationship," Paul said on his Game Over Podcast with Max Kellerman.
"When things happen in such a media-robust environment, we’re looking for the drama of it all. The reality of it is, these guys are getting paid a lot of money to do a high-level job, the fact that there’s care shown, passion shown, and competitive nature shown, I think that’s healthy."
Moving forward, this should be a moment to be forgotten. It is not a good look, of course, but that happens in professional sports. Situations get heated, but as long as cooler heads prevail, the Lakers can benefit from learning from the conflicts.
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