The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2024-25 regular season having established a reputation for impatience. Los Angeles had gone through seven head coaches since Phil Jackson retired in 2011, and JJ Redick was a polarizing eighth hire.
Thankfully, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers appear to have finally learned from the cost of failing to empower a head coach to find their way through a difficult stretch.
Redick has been a revelation [during his first season](https://lakeshowlife.com/jj-redick-unlikely-ally-preparing-first-season-lakers-head-coach) on the sidelines, leading the Lakers to a 40-22 record through 62 games. He has Los Angeles at a winning percentage of .645, which is its best since the championship season in 2019-20.
Taking it a step further, it would be the Lakers' second-best winning percentage since 2010-11—a clear sign of just how massive and unique Redick's success truly is.
Furthermore, Los Angeles is on pace to make a third consecutive postseason appearance. It would mark the first time since 2012-13 that the Lakers have been able to reach the playoffs in at least three straight seasons.
For as positive as that all is, the primary reason Redick has the Lakers playing at this level is the simple fact that the front office has remained patient with his progress.
Lakers are in elite form, but it's been a progressive battle
------------------------------------------------------------
It's easy to look at the standings and believe [Los Angeles has been dominating](https://lakeshowlife.com/luka-doncic-lebron-james-undeniable-reason-lakers-beat-anyone) throughout the 2024-25 season. They're the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, boasting the fourth-best record in the NBA behind only the 54-10 Cleveland Cavaliers, 53-11 Oklahoma City Thunder, and 46-18 Boston Celtics.
For as compelling as all of that may be, the Lakers are in this position because Redick was given the opportunity to traverse rocky terrain without the fear of losing his job.
Los Angeles started the season at 3-0, but proceeded to go 1-4 over its next five games. It responded with a six-game winning streak, only to falter and record a 3-8 record over the 11 outings that followed.
During that stretch, the Lakers lost by margins of 127-102, 127-100, 109-80, and 134-93—results that, in the past, would've sounded the proverbial alarms.
Since that 3-8 stretch dropped the Lakers' record to 13-12, however, they've been nothing short of dominant. They're 27-10 during that time, with a three-game losing streak in early-to-mid January proving to be the only sustained period during which they struggled.
Redick deserves a mountain of credit for that success, especially when one considers the fact that the franchise traded Anthony Davis in the midst of a stretch of six wins in seven games.
Rather than expecting Redick to have all the answers, however, the Lakers have doubled down on their vision of sustained excellence. They've understood how important it is for a head coach to have the front office's backing during difficult times, as it's the only way to affirm their place as the leader in the locker room—especially on a team with multiple superstars.
After failing to provide previous head coaches with that same support, the Lakers seem to have finally learned their lesson with the way they've backed Redick. The results have inevitably followed.