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LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick presented the team’s rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James to the media on Tuesday. Pelinka grabbed the former Tennessee star in the first round while the team took James Jr. at No. 55 in the second round. The two will join a roster headed by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves.
A photo of Redick, walking behind James Jr., inside the Lakers’ practice facility to start the press conference has gone viral. An X, formerly Twitter, user emphasized the “stressed” look on the former ESPN analyst’s face before the event started.
Basketball fans promptly reacted to the photo:
“He knows this roster is s**t”
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Another fan echoed the same sentiment:
“Bro is over it already”
Somebody piled on the thread:
“I’m 47. He has more grey hairs than me, and those are probably from the last two weeks”
One fan referenced the Lakers' failed pursuit of Klay Thompson as the reason for Redick's expression:
“They told me we were getting Klay”
However, one fan completely disagreed:
“This roster won 47 games with a coach sabotaging from within…how exactly is he “stressed” lol”
LeBron James played 71 games last season, the most since 2017-18 when he played 82 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Anthony Davis put in a career-high 76 games, which was stunning since he played just 132 combined in three previous seasons. And yet, the LA Lakers finished seventh in the West with a 47-35 record.
JJ Redick takes over a roster that might have to run the same names if Rob Pelinka can’t get reinforcement. “King James” is reportedly willing to take a pay cut if the team can get somebody like Jonas Valanciunas, Klay Thompson, or James Harden. All three decided to play elsewhere, including Thompson, the hometown star many wanted to see in purple and gold.
Perhaps the Lakers can do better with Redick at the helm instead of Darvin Ham. Or, the former ESPN analyst can also end up being the scapegoat if the team doesn’t live up to expectations.
JJ Redick could still get a roster upgrade before training camp starts
LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka could still upgrade the roster before the start of training camp. LeBron James might still keep his word to take a pay cut to give JJ Redick better cards to deal with.
Multiple reports have surfaced that the LA Lakers could be interested in the Portland Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant. The Brooklyn Nets’ Cameron Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic are also options Pelinka is rumored to be looking at.
LA is undeniably looking for more size and shooting in the wings. Grant, Johnson, or Bogdanovic answer that billing. Pelinka is also likely looking at alternatives that aren’t in the news.
For now, some basketball fans attribute one “stressed” photo of JJ Redick to the Lakers’ roster. The narrative may or may not change depending on how things unfold in the next few weeks or months.
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