Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has traveled a truly unique path to his current position. While most commonly recognized as a college basketball legend who played 15 seasons in the NBA, Redick became a pioneer of sports podcasting and the modern version of player-driven analysis.
One of the ventures that distinguished Redick from his peers was the podcast titled The Old Man and The Three—which will continue to live on under a different name.
The Old Man and The Three has been rebranded to The Young Man and The Three. NBA players Tyrese Haliburton and Trey Murphy III have already appeared in roles on the show alongside mainstay Tommy Alter, with the first guest being none other than former president Barack Obama.
Prior to Haliburton's interview with Obama, Murphy appeared with Alter to discuss a variety of topics, including Redick becoming the new head coach of the Lakers.
"Well, first off, I've been playing very close attention to the Lakers because they've been running a lot better offense this year. I've been paying very, very close attention to their plays. Might have to dissect a few."
There's only so much to go on at this stage, but Murphy's praise for Redick's schematics has been echoed around the NBA.
Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III belives Lakers have already improved
Over the past two seasons, Murphy has established himself as one of the fastest-rising players in the NBA. He took his game to another level in 2023-24, averaging career-best marks of 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made on .443/.380/.815 shooting.
During that time, Murphy played well enough to secure a four-year, $112 million contract extension with the Pelicans that will begin in 2025-26.
With this in mind, Murphy's evaluation of the Lakers' quality of play is qualified by his history as a high-quality NBA player. His belief that Redick is running an improved offense also comes from his experience of playing against Los Angeles.
Having established his qualifications, it's intriguing to note that Murphy made it a point to say that he'll need to dissect a few of the plays Redick is running.
If Redick were simply empowering his players to perform with more confidence—an essential aspect of a coach's job—Murphy's comment wouldn't have been necessary. The reason the Lakers are turning heads, however, is the fact that the system they're utilizing is nuanced and creative.
It's been quite some time since the Lakers' offense felt unpredictable, which has many questioning if their pessimistic pre-season projections were a bit harsh.
Moving forward, The Young Man and The Three will maintain the integrity of the original podcast while shifting its focus to a rotation of hosts who represent the younger generation of NBA players. Redick, meanwhile, will continue to tackle the challenge of re-establishing the Lakers as contenders.
Perhaps those who are familiar with Redick are somewhat biased, but the optimism among his peers is beginning to be shared by his skeptics.
