Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has rated LA Clippers shooting guard James Harden as one of the smartest players of the current generation. Redick said Harden has got all the experience under his belt and he makes sure he gets the best out of himself.
Harden scored 21 points on 9-16 shooting in 40 minutes against the LA Lakers on Sundary to play a key role in 116-102 win at Intuit dome on Sunday.
Before the game, Redick said for Harden, “He’s one of the smartest players that has played in this generation,” Redick said. “He can dice up your defense in a number of ways. He’s seen every coverage, he’s seen every gimmick, and he continues to produce at a high level.”
Meanwhile, Harden passed Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (26,710 points) for 14th on the career scoring list.
Redick also lauded LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer for building a $2 billion-worth Intuit dome.
“Steve coming in and truly being one of the best owners in sports, as evidenced by what’s about 200 feet from us,” Redick said (Timestamp: 0:40). “I got here about two o’clock and had to go see it for myself. First time. Well done.”
On the other hand, former Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants criticized JJ Redick for not get the best out of his players.
“It ain’t the players man, it’s JJ (Redick),” McCants said on Gil Arena’s podcast. “He’s not putting down authority amongst the team. (Redick) is not placing accountability. … He would be able to coach the (LA Lakers) if we took (James and Davis) out of it. … It’s a fake system you have to put in just for them two.”
The Lakers currently have a 22-18 record whereas the Clippers are 24-17 in the Western Conference.
