Brian Windhorst shreds JJ Redick for coaching 'very immaturely' in Lakers' elimination from NBA Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers ended up going out of the NBA Playoffs with their loss on Wednesday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That also ended the first year for head coach JJ Redick in Los Angeles in disappointment.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst saw a few issues with the Lakers in this series. The roster being incomplete and stars not hitting their potential hurt. However, as he explained on Get Up, Redick’s coaching was also a major issue. In particular, Windhorst ripped Redick for coaching immaturely.

“I don’t mean this in a personal way, JJ Redick coached very immaturely in this series,” Windhorst said. “He was still seething and upset about the previous games to the point where Reggie Miller said on the broadcast last night he had to try to calm him down in the pregame meeting because JJ was acting, frankly, childishly. He walked off and stormed off in the pregame session with reporters. Regardless of the question, it’s not the way to start.”

Brian Windhorst calls out JJ Redick after the Lakers lost in 5 to the Timberwolves.

"Reggie Miller said on the broadcast last night he had to try to calm him down in the pregame meeting because JJ was acting, frankly, childishly." pic.twitter.com/kRzpWvTE7j

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 1, 2025

Windhorst is referencing a question Redick was asked about not substituting. The reporter was asking about his process and if he leans on assistants for those kinds of things, and Redick responded by demanding to know if he was being questioned over his experience level as a coach before walking off.

“Not only did he double down on his, frankly, irrational decision not to substitute for an entire half in a playoff game — he double down on that — and then in this game he played a guy who hadn’t played in three months ahead of centers that he had on his roster. He played Maxi Kleber. He had never even practiced with the Lakers. Maxi Kleber is on the court with like five minutes to go in a two-possession game. That is not a rational decision. I’m sorry,” Windhorst said.

“I don’t know if Mark Williams was even on this team whether JJ would have played him. I suspect, in retrospect, JJ Redick will realize he didn’t put the Lakers in the best position to win.”

Redick played in the NBA from 2006 through 2021. After that, he began a media career before being hired by the Lakers to be their head coach ahead of the 2024-25 season. In an eventful season, the Lakers shook up the roster midseason with the Luke Dončić trade. However, as Windhorst alluded to, Los Angeles also almost had another trade moving Dalton Knecht for Mark Williams, which should have improved their presence inside.

In the end, the Lakers went 50-32 in their first season under Redick. Even with that, though, Los Angeles suffered a first round loss in just five games. That’s one year removed from another first round loss.