JJ Redick’s former teammate Chris Paul makes his opinion on Dan Hurley known
JJ Redick’s former teammate Chris Paul said on Thursday that reports that Dan Hurley might be the next LA LA Lakers coach came as news to him. But the Golden State Warriors point guard said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that Hurley will "definitely have that respect."
According to reports, Hurley might be the Lakers' choice to take over at Crypto.com Arena next season. The franchise has reportedly interviewed other potential candidates, including Paul’s former LA Clippers teammate. But the NBA veteran doesn't believe that Redick will coach the Lakers.
“I know JJ," Paul said. "He was my teammate. I’m just saying, you ain't necessarily got to believe everything you hear.”
Paul talked about Dan Hurley’s potential as an NBA coach.
“As far as Dan Hurley, I got so much respect for him because not just how he coaches but how his players respond to him," Paul said. "Being players, you can see when a coach is coaching if everybody is in the huddle, you know, listening."
The Lakers fired Darvin Ham in early May after the team lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Hurley is said to be their first choice to replace Ham, with ESPN reporting that the franchise has established contact with the two-time national champion coach of the UConn Huskies.
Bringing Dan Hurley might be for the benefit of Bronny James, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
If the Lakers end up drafting LeBron James' son, Bronny James, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski thinks that hiring Dan Hurley as their coach might be best for the 18-year-old. He pointed out Hurley's ability to develop young players and his offensive acumen.
"The idea of Bronny James and the Lakers ... who better, potentially, than Dan Hurley to be the development coach to lead his growth? ... You talk about X's and O's acumen, player development," Wojnarowski said on ESPN radio. "There's been more than one NBA coach who has said to me in recent months, talking about, even as they're watching tape on UConn ... they talk about the sophistication of UConn's offense.”
LeBron has also expressed his admiration for Hurley's offense at UConn. But his future with the team is yet to be decided. So, will he be playing under the reigning back-to-back national championship-winning coach for a season, potentially along with his son?